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Tossing out old notebooks and I found the very first written notes for FFH2 that I'd apparently forgotten about. This would have been a "barebones plot" notebook with hints to add and all that before I got into the actual writing process. Don't know how I forgot about it, not that it matters now all is said and done.
FFH: TTA - Epilogue
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Epilogue: Life Goes On
âSo when do ye think we should ânounce our engagement?â âThe more you keep asking, the further back I set the date.â âOh, Annie! Yer just set on beinâ mean now.â âIt can wait until Iâm properly moved in, at least.â ââŠSpeakinâ aâ which, arne there certainâŠthings ye wanna maybeâŠkeep safe?â âThe Fun Box?â âThe Fun Box.â âTrust me, all that stuff is safe. And coming with me. Just in case.â âGood tuh know.â ââŠJesus Christ, that was too much information and you barely implied anything.â âOh come on, Runt. It isne all that bad! Most of it is justâŠpictures.â âTastefully taken.â âVery well made.â âPerfectly modeled as well.â âOh aye, they certainly were.â âIf you two are going to be like this all the time now, I definitely will move out.â ââŠWhat?â âUm, no, I donât mean leave the houseâŠcastle. I just mean likeâŠyou know what? Forget I said anything.â âNo, itâs okay. Say what you need to, Bridget.â âI wasnât sure ifâŠor whenâŠI should ask this butâŠhow uh, how out there would it be if umâŠif I did want to move out? LikeâŠhave my own room?â ââŠHuh.â âIâm not asking for, like, my own damn master bedroom or anything! Iâd be cool with a refurbished broom closet! Hell, justâŠI donât know, making a soundproof room in that cabinet underneath the window seat would be good too!â âWhy soundproof?â âUmâŠwellâŠif you guys are going to be living togetherâŠin the same roomâŠâ âRight.â âYou know.â âKnow what?â âYou donât need someoneâŠyou know.â âI donât get it.â âHearing things.â âWhat things?â ââŠYou know what things.â âPrivate conversations?â âJokes?â âTuh-do lists?â âMemories?â âHow our days went?â âGrocery lists?â âGossip?â âCasserole recipes?â âSEX SEX YOU GUYS HAVING SEX GODDAMNIT!â âHa! I win.â âThis time. Iâll get ye next.â ââŠI changed my mind, Iâm moving out completely.â âHeh. Itâs alright. Itâs a good idea fer a good reason. But I doona think yeâll do with a broom closet. What if we wanna come in fer a visit? Itâd be squished with moreâan one Tergaian-sized person there.â âHmm. I suppose I can get a folding chair in there for you. Maybe.â âOh, all that anâ more. Yer probâly gonna need ânuff room fer the proper office furniture.â âOfficeâŠwhat?â âOffice furniture. Desk, chairs, pencil holders. Maybe one of those clanking ball things.â âAnd a plant! Every office needs a plant. Itâll help bring the room together.â âW-whyâŠwhy would I-?â âWell, besides a proper bedroom, Iâm sure the Kingâs Royal Advisor on Human Affairs needs a proper office tuh.â âTheâŠthe RoyalâŠwhatâŠ?â âI wanted tuh tell ye sooner but after the coronation anâ the massive press storm wellâŠit kinda got âway from me.â âBridget? Are you alright?â âIâŠI canâtâŠI donâtâŠâ âDoona what?â âI DONâT KNOW POLITICS! Let alone this placeâs politics!â âAll the better! Ye woona be tainted by âpinions âsides yer own.â âI have exactly dick experience in public affairs.â âSo did I, once.â âOr in running an office.â âNor I, once.â âWhat if I fuck up royally?â âHeh. Iâve that fear now tuh, ye know.â âOh goddamn the pun. What makes you think I want to do this?â ââCuz I like tuh think I know ye well ânuff by now.â âWhat makes you think I CAN do this?â ââCuz thereâs no one I trust more tuh give me the truth âbout the Human condition or what needs tuh be done. YerâŠyer experiencinâ alla it first-hand. I doubt anyone else would give it tuh me straight when I needed it.â ââŠâ ââŠâ âSigh. I have to warn you, my rĂ©sumĂ© is pretty anemic and you probably wonât be able to contact any of my references.â âGood thing ye made a great first impression on this interview then.â âRight. Okay. SoâŠumâŠwhen do I start?â âUnofficially, ye already have as far as Iâm concerned. Officially, though? Not any time soon, Iâm âfraid.â âWhy the Hells not?â ââThereâs still a lot I need tuh set up anâ get under way, Annie. Infrastructure, economy, integratinâ currency, Hells just gettingâ basic rights âprovedâŠthereâs no viable way tuh put Bridget on payroll without it beinâ seen as some sorta vanity stunt or âtempt at embezzlinâ.â ââŠIâd get paid?â âAye, aâ course! Jobâs a job, right?â âWell, it sounds a step up from Court Jester at least.â
FFH: TTA - Chapter 21
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Chapter 21: The First King
The morning was a rush. Iâd barely gotten out of the shower when I was ambushed by a pair of tailors and a hairdresser. Last minute fittings were needed, mostly at Cassidyâs behest. A new kilt and sporra were provided. The new jacket needed a few alterations though. I stood in front of their mirrors while the tailors measured and sewed. The hairdresser attempted to fix the mess that was my hair. He tried to slick back my bangs, but I wasnât having it. The braid and new hair ribbon would be fine enough for me. The only relief was knowing I wasnât alone. âGood morn-OH!â Annie began, trying to sneak in. Another team rushed her into the room and got to work. âI didnât think Iâd need all the fuss, Colm.â âNor I, Annie. Itâs good tuh see ye.â I replied with a quick kiss. I tried to ignore the photographer pacing the room. âHow was last night?â âLetâs just say the potion and tea helped. A lot. Ended up barely sleeping thanks to Audrey.â âEâerythinâ alright? What happened?â âIâŠthink itâs best we talk about it later. In private. Iâm alright otherwise, really, it just gave me a lot to think about.â âOh aye, âcuz that doesne make it sound worseâan-!â âGood mor-HOLY CRAP!â I turned towards Bridget, whoâd just stepped out of her bathroom. As did everyone else. âUh, sorry, justâŠdidnât expect a full room.â she stated, heading for the window seat to wait. With so many people around, it didnât surprise me if she didnât want to be underfoot. Literally and figuratively. Sheâd barely reached the stairs before someone approached her. âMiss Bridget?â the woman asked on bended knee. Annie and I exchanged glances and waited to see what would happen. I think we both were expecting the worst. âUhâŠyes?â Bridget asked, glancing my way as well. Without a doubt she was on edge. âIâve your outfit here, Miss.â âUm, I already have-!â âMiss Gabon insisted. Her exact words were: âthereâs no way anyone is wearing anything off the rack for a coronationâ.â âOh. HuhâŠum, well, canât disappoint Cassidy I suppose. Thanks.â âYouâre welcome, Miss. Iâll be right back to do your hair as well.â âMy what?â âErm, I donât suppose anyone knows where I can find a âKirby Dawesâ or âFurgusâ?â the woman asked once she got up. âTake a left out me door, yeâll find Kirby at the end aâ the hall with me sister Molly. Take a right anâ yeâll find Furgus with me brother Liam.â I informed her. âUnless Furgus is runninâ âround like he usually is!â As if on cue, the door nudged itself open. Furgus had grown quickly in just a few months. As expected from a Fathish Wolfhound. Thankfully, his temperament stayed the same. He slowly paced the room and sniffed people before sitting down in the sunlight. Furgus had gotten into the habit of greeting as many people as he could as a morning routine. Usually ending with BridgetâŠright outside her bathroom. âI hope no oneâs âlergic.â I said. âWe can kickâim out if ye are.â When no one spoke up and kept working, the woman pat the happy pup. She changed his collar and added a special cloak to his back. The Arcadi coat of arms was embroidered on both sides. âHeh. Guess eâeryone has tuh look their best tuhday, huh?â âOf course they do!â Cassidy added as she entered the room. Her own dress was simple, but colorful. It suited her better than she probably knew. âItâs a big day for everyone, big or small!â âWere these last minute ideas orâŠ?â âLetâs just say some people werenât taken into consideration in the original plans.â âSpeak aâ the DĂŠmon!â I said once I noticed Bridget push past her curtains. The new dress was an exquisite shade of gold. âLookinâ good there, Runt!â âFeeling good, Scruffy! This dress is lighter than it looks. It even does the Swoosh!â âThe âSwooshâ?â Bridget twirled in place, making sure the skirt flittered just right in the sunlight. A few gasps could be heard when she was done. âThe Swooshâ. Bridget said simply. âA good Swoosh is hard to come by. You did a great job Cassidy!â Annie said before she did her own swirl. Gasps all around once more. âI take that back. An amazing job.â ââŠIâm half tempted tuh see if me kilt does the Swoosh now tuh.â Cassidy giggled nervously as the compliments piled on from all around. She almost dropped her clipboard trying to hide behind it. âI-if everyone is ready, we can start heading out.â she said once she got her composure again. It couldnât have been better timed. As soon as we stepped out of my room, so did my family. Molly, Hogan, and Kirby from one end, Liam, Glori, and the kids from the other. Furgus plodded over to Elias, Elma, and Ellie once he squeezed past us. âIt isne tuh late. âKing Liamâ or âQueen Mollyâ have nice rings tuhâem, ye know.â I quipped when we were all close enough. We all laughed, but I swore I could see it in their eyes: they still had faith in me. It felt foolish. The foyer should have been nearly empty. Instead, it was almost full to bursting with the house staff and their families. There were cheers as we made our way down. I could have sworn there were tears in Tim and Mr. Livingstonâs eyes when they greeted us at the bottom. âYe ready fer tuhday, Tim?â I asked, shaking his hand. âWouldnât be a good Court Magician if I wasnât.â he replied with a smile. âI wanna thank each anâ eâery one aâ ye.â I said to the waiting staff. âI âpreciate yer hard work anâ long service moreâan I can eâer say. Eâen more so fer those who have tuh work tuhnight. Gods Love, there arne ânuff words.â âSaveâem fer the crowd, Mâlord!â someone shouted. It got a laugh from everyone. We all needed it, I think. Some more than others. We were split up by carriage. Molly, Hogan, and Kirby would be the first ones out. Liam and his family would be next. Annie, Bridget, and I would bring up the rear. The carriages were open so the crowds could see us, and we the crowds. The Arcadian Guard would be escorting us on horseback and on foot. I watched as Dorian mounted his saddled lion to lead the procession. All the horses and lions were dressed up for the day as well. Vaughan and Angus were no different. The decorative harnesses and plumes suited their golden manes. The pair huffed and puffed theirs purrs as I gave them loving pats. Angus was excited to be part of something so grand, while Vaughan managed to keep his usual composure. I took the time to feel the scars on Vaughanâs face. Healed over and safe to touch, they were still noticeable even months later. Cassidy almost replaced the old lion because of them. But Iâd insisted he stay. Vaughan helped save Bridgetâs life that night. And mine. He took on a Greater Wyvern without hesitation. He earned this spot. The ride through the city was an experience Iâd never forget. There were dissenters to be seen and heard, without a doubt, but they were eclipsed by cheers and well wishes. Whether those were genuine or not, I couldnât tell. For all I knew, they were just being swept up in the excitement. It took everything I had not to cry in joy anyway. We arrived at the temple steps before I knew it. The Arcadian Temple wasnât the first choice to hold the ceremony. DĂșn Meath had been heavily suggested at first. More space, far more grand in comparison. Again, Iâd insisted. The Arcadian Temple was the first building Maureen herself decreed be built. It inspired her to build a city, a nation, in its spot. Magistrates from all over Fathach lined the stairs. Hand in hand with Annie, Bridget on her shoulder, we ascended the steps. Liam and Molly were waiting at the top. I turned, bowing and waving to all who stood below. They returned the gesture before following us inside. Seats and benches now filled the temple space. Family, foreign dignitaries, and the like filled the building. There would be hours of small talk and polite discussions to be had with them. Annie and I parted ways just before we reached the altar. She was seated with my family, just a few meters away. It felt like I was waiting to perform on stage for the largest audience ever. I tried to keep my stage fright at bay. Caledonia was dressed in her robes of ceremony, including the ostentatious hat. She stood at attention in front of the statue of Caduceus. His carven smile looked as enigmatic as ever. Was He smiling in approval? Or was He waiting to strike me down? I stood in reverence hoping for the best. The crowded hall settled down at the crack of Caledoniaâs bata siĂșil. âAttend me, you, in this hallowed hall!â she began, her voice strong and booming. âAttend and bear witness! This day, an oath is taken! This day, a promise is made! This day, a leader is appointed! Step forward, they who would accept this honor!â I forced myself to move. The enormity of it all was beginning to overwhelm me. Having so many eyes watching my steps wasnât making it any easier. âWho stands before us today?â Caledonia asked once we made eye contact. âLord Colm Matthew Alexander Brian Arcadi, yer grace.â I answered loudly and steadily. If Iâd squeaked, I would never have lived it down. âAre you willing to take the oath, Mâlord?â No. I thought. âI am, yer grace.â I couldnât afford the hesitation. Fathach couldnât afford it. âDo you swear to be faithful to all of Fathach, as all of Fathach shall be unto you?â âI will, yer grace.â âLet this ring be worn as proof of your faithfulness and love.â Caledonia stated as a pillow was brought forth. The ring was set with precious gems and crafted into the Arcadi coat of arms: the Claddaugh. Hands offered in friendship, a heart full of love, and a crown of loyalty. These were the principles that helped establish Fathach. âDo you swear to fight for all of Fathach, to bring justice swift and true, as all of Fathach would fight for you?â âI will, yer grace.â âLet this sword be worn as proof you are ready to defend and fight at all costs.â The belt was leather, its hilt and sheath bejeweled. The sword itself made of the strongest steel and finest gold. âDo you swear to guide Fathach, in all its glory and strife, as Fathach would guide you?â âI will, yer grace.â âLet this scepter be your proof. Proof of authority, and aid to guide those who would follow.â The golden staff was about a head shorter than me. It was biting cold at first but warmed the longer I held it. An intricate Claddaugh at the top made me wonder if it would work as a weapon as well. âDo you swear to follow the word of the Gods, to show compassion and wisdom, as They expect of all Their followers?â âI will, yer grace.â âLet this mantle be worn as proof. May the Godsâ compassion and wisdom cover you and shelter you at all times.â I knelt as the blood red cloak was draped upon my back. The clasp was gold and the trim white fur. It was soft and warm, and thicker than expected. I stayed kneeling as the big moment came. âDo you swear with faith and love, with justice, with guidance, with compassion and wisdom, with all these and more, to rule with clear mind and heart, for the rest of your days?â There was time enough for one last deep breath. Thereâs still time enough to say no. âI will, yer grace.â Coward. âLet this crown be worn as proof. Proof of your status, proof of your authority, and most of all, as proof of the responsibility you hold most dear.â I closed my eyes as it was set upon my head. There had been a fear it would be too small. Or too big. Or lightning would strike when it touched my brow. There was a relief to feel that weight. âRise now, Lord Colm Matthew Alexander Brian Arcadi. First of his name, first of his title, King of all Fathach!â The applause was instantaneous. The cheers deafening. âALL HAIL KING COLM! LONG LIVE THE KING! LONG LIVE THE KING!" I made my bows. To my family, to the magistrates, to the diplomats. And, surprisingly, to the few monarchs that attended. King Gerwulf and his family were present. Beside them sat the Empress Sameeksha, SamrĂŁjñi of Visdia, and her husband. It was an esteemed honor to have them there: she was expecting her third child any day now. The true surprise was seeing Queen Letitia. The Queen of Boudan came after all. Along with her husband and their only child, Princess Marjorie. There was a moment, the longest moment, where we locked eyes. Both afraid to move. No, not afraid. Too proud. Fathach and Boudan had a long, uneasy history. Fathach was born from a need to escape Boudish rule. We fought, we warred, and Fathach won its independence, its right to stand as a nation. Boudan had been nothing if not bitter ever since. But that pride needed to be set aside. For Fathach. Always for Fathach. I bowed. And hid my grin when the trio bowed in return. Last but not least, Caledonia received her bow. The cheers and confetti, the firecrackers and flowers, were almost too much to bear during the return procession. Our carriage led the way this time. Annie, Bridget, and I were waiting as everyone arrived. The press took their pictures and made their reports as the rest of the guests arrived. I caught sight of a familiar black braid and purple vest among their numbers. The house staff were lined up and waiting alongside the mansion. When everyone was finally gathered, I raised my hand. The Master Magicians and Architects made themselves ready. With a drop of my hand, the world changed. The entirety of the Arcadi Mansion transformed as we watched. The piles of supplies changed before our eyes. Stone replaced wood. Windows stretched or shrank or disappeared altogether. A balcony emerged above the new front doors. The structure grew taller and wider before the end. The effect couldnât have lasted longer than a minute but the result drew thunderous applause. I turned to the crowd once the excitement died down. âI welcome ye, one anâ all, tuh Castle Arcadi!â I stated, loud and booming. Applause once again. âIâd be honored if yeâd please join me in Crown Hall.â Annie and I led the way. The staff and their families were quick to find their way in, sliding off to the side and back to their duties. The foyer was larger but somehow still felt the same. The staircases had moved, each on the side of grand doors waiting for us. I waved off the guards who attempted to open them for me. There was a certain exhilaration just touching the ornate handles. Even more so when I pushed the doors open. Crown Hall was more than Iâd expected. Larger, brighter, and moreâŠwell, more everything compared to its sister in Castle ScĂĄth. With the amount of space it took up, it would host not only Grievance Day, but any party or social function weâd have in the future. The sight of it all took my breath away. âHoly Shit!â Bridget said as we walked in. âCoodneâve said it better meself.â I chuckled. I chose to welcome everyone as they passed, offering nods and handshakes before they took their seats. The ushers did their best to discourage this, leading people away when they could. Especially when a line started forming just to shake my hand. âYou neednât be here, Mâlord.â Mr. Livingston whispered as he sidled up beside us. He was right, of course. It wasnât necessary. In truth, I wasnât ready to take my seat. I wasnât ready to becomfortable sitting on a grand throne, overlooking the hall as everyone had their attention on me. Least of all, I wasnât ready to make my first speech as King. I think Mr. Livingston knew it too. âMaybe not but it only seems proper, Mr. Livingston.â I replied. âAnâ what did I tell ye âbout the âMâlordâ a decade âgo?â âWith all due respect, youâre a king now.â âAnâ with all due respect, Iâm still Colm, arne I?â ââŠâ ââŠâ ââŠAs you wish, sir.â âThank ye, James.â Cassidy was speaking with the technicians when I looked up. They had finished setting up the podium and equipment. The testing was finished. With their approval met, it was time. I was ready to run. Until I felt her hand slip into mine. âYouâre going to be great.â Annie whispered as we made our way to the -Gods help me- throne. Once there, she gave my hand another squeeze and my cheek a quick kiss. âGood luck, Colm.â âYou got this, dude!â Bridget said, before both headed towards the front row. Bridget, Kirby, and the Arcadian Human Guard had a special table reserved for them, with seats their own size. She gave an enthusiastic thumbs up before turning to the others around her. Annie stayed close to the table after setting her down. Liam, Molly, and their families sat on either side. Dorian stood with his wife Lorelei, and their children. Caledonia was making chit chat with the monarchs beside her. I was surrounded. The hall was filled, quiet and waiting with bated breath once I reached the podium. I checked for the nearest exits. Everyone took their seat when I gave a nod. The sound of hundreds of chairs nearly broke my nerves. Iâd given speeches over the wireless before, been on countless interviews. It took time and practice to get accustomed to the pressure. This shouldnât have been any different. But it was. Today was life-changing. Historical. The start and end of an era. âBefer I begin, Iâd like tuh thank eâeryone here. I âpreciate anâ am grateful fer yer presence. The reception will begin properly after me speech. I also wanna thank eâeryone in advance fer yer patience anâ consideration as I speak.â I began, carefully extracting my speech from my jacket. The notes were handwritten and barely legible. I refused to let anyone read them over. If I didnât say what I needed to in my way, I was sure Iâd regret it in the end. âAnâ if need be, any aâ the numerous ushers can help ye tuh the nearest lilâ kingâs room.â The slight rise in polite laughter was the best I could have hoped for. Cassidy, catching my eye, tapped her wrist. When I nodded, she gave a thumbâs up and a smile. She stood beside the broadcaster and kept an eye on the equipment. My speech was going to be simultaneously recorded as it was being broadcasted. For posterityâs sake, naturally. The light on the podium began to glow. Three red flashes before it held steady. I was live on the air. Gods give me strength. âHullo anâ good afternoon, me distinguished guests. Yer royal majesties, members aâ the High Council, foreign anâ domestic dignitaries, ladies anâ gentlemen aâ the press, anâ most importantly, tuh alla Fathach herself: I bid ye welcome.â I began, keeping my eyes on the words before me. If I actually looked out into the crowd, Iâd freeze up. I knew I would. Pressing on was all I had. âIâd like tuh begin by reiteratinâ a few truths I have always held dear. Truths I have held dear befer anâ durinâ me time as yer High Lord, anâ will continue tuh hold dear as yer King.â It wouldnât be a lie. Though Iâm sure it would be thrown into question anyway. âI have neâer seen meself as betterâan anyone else. Nor have I seen meself as below anyone. I have always considered meself as yer equal.â Not entirely a lie. There were plenty of people I saw as better than me. Saw myself as scum at times. But they didnât need to know that. âWhateâer power, privilege, or influence I had, I use in the pursuit aâ Fathachâs best interests. All of Fathach has held me accountable fer the last 10 years. I am accountable tuh alla Fathach. It is yer right anâ me responsibility tuh do so. Should ye eâer believe I am unfit fer this office, I will step down anâ another shall take me place. I only ask that ye have faith in what I say, fer I have the utmost faith in alla Fathach anâer peoples.â It was a lot to expect of them. I knew that. I wasnât even sure Iâd be alive by dayâs end. âSecondly, Iâd like tuh clear up some confusion. Fathach has âdopted a monarchy. This is true. The rules aâ succession, howeâer, remain as they have always been. A rulinâ Arcadi may choose their successor from within their immediate family or âmong their extended blood relations. No one family line may rule fer longerâan 5 consecutive generations. Titles have changed âround, but the policies remain fairly unchanged. High Lord or King, High Lady or Queen, doesne rule from on high. The High Council is still tuh be consulted on certain matters. The King or Queen holds authority, has a status. They doona anâ canna hold absolute power. They are not âlone in rulinâ.â Gods help me if I ever had to do this alone. âLastly, Iâd like tuh answer a question that has been asked aâ me the last few months. Sevâral times aâ day, in some cases. âHow would High Lady Maureen Arcadi react tuh a Fathish monarchy?â The truth isâŠthe truth is I dunno how sheâd feel. We can neâer truly know. The best we can do is take an educated guess. There would surely be a storm aâ swears anâ insults if she were given the news. Not one fer subtlety, that Maureen.â A few chuckles from the crowd, but nothing more. I half-expected some kind of angry noise from Queen Letitia. âHoweâer, I believe sheâd âprove. Begrudginâly, aâ course. Fathach has come fartherâan she probâly coulda imagined. She faked her death, destroyedâer beloved ship, all fer the sake uvâer crew. They were guaranteed safety here while a nation was built. They fought tuh protect it. They fought tuh preserve it. Anâ their descendants fought for its independence. Fathach has been a recognized, independent nation fer oâer a hundred years now. Fathach is safe. Fathach is whole. Maureen would be proud uvâour progress.â Deep breath, Colm. Youâre almost done. âMaureen knew the importance aâ teamwork, aâ sacrifice. The Golden Horizon was burned anâ sunk tuh giveâer crew a chance. Fathach âdopted a monarchy tuh prove itself tuh the Alliance aâ Nations. Fer the good uvâer crew, fer the good aâ the nation, we made difficult decisions. This, Maureen would empathize with, at the very least.â Time for the big finish. âIf there is anythinâ I believe Maureen would disâprove aâ, without hesitation, is how we treat each other. Fathach was founded tuh give the Golden Horizon crew a new life. A second chance. A second chance fer eâeryone. From allwalks aâ life.â Keep going. âMaureenâs crew came from all oâer. From Boudan, Birrimania, Visdia, Jötursk, and Reusia. There were Master Magicians âlongside Gan-BhrĂ. Vigiliants, monotheists, and atheists. Clerics anâ thieves. Sailors turned pirate fer profit. Farmers turned sailor fer adventure. Runâways anâ merchants. Fathach is diverse tuhday thanks tuh this crew. We doâem a disservice by alienatinâ their descendants or those whoâŠwho ârive unexpectedly, or those who ârive with a purpose. Fathach has been on its own fer tuh long. We need tuh open our minds, anâ our hearts, tuh those we see as different from us. I was recently reminded uvâa passage from the Vigilant Tome: âif we canna help the least uvâus, we doona deserve the best the Heavens have tuh offerâ. Itâs as true now as itâs eâer been.â This was it. Youâre nearly there. âEâeryone in Fathach has a right tuh live their lives tuh the fullest. Tuh the best aâ their âbility. Tuh feel like a part aâ the community, a part aâ the nation. Whether they are a born citizen, or naturalized, or on their way tuh becominâ one. They should have the same opportunities tuh succeedâŠno matter their race. No matter their creed. No matter their magical skill. No matter their station. No matter their religion.â Gods help you, say it. âAnââŠno matter their size.â The gasps rose in an instant. Like I suspected they would. A small pebble could cause big waves, after all. And after a boulder like that, what else would I have expected? My heart pounded as the crowd grew louder. My stomach twisted in knots. I needed to press on. Above the murmurs and whispers. âMay the Gods bless anâ keep us all.â The light died. I was off the air. But I wasnât out of the spotlight. I tried to focus on breathing, to ignore the sounds around me. Then it happened, from the corner of my eye. A small movement of gold from somewhere nearby. I turned, expecting a ribbon or balloon or some random object. Instead, there she was. Bridget. She was the first to stand, the first to clap. Kirby followed close behind. As did the Human Guards. And Annie. Caledonia. My family, friends, and eventually the rest of the crowded hall. It was mostly polite applause. I knew it. I bowed anyway. And calmly walked out the nearest door. Only to sprint towards the closest toilet. Iâd barely made it in time. My stomach was completely empty soon enough. Reflex made me keep trying anyway. I was sweating and tired before the end. I almost didnât hear the knock on the door. âIâŠIâmâŠâ I tried to shout, only to start dry heaving again. The door opened and shut quickly behind me. I nearly jumped when a hand started rubbing my back. âWho-?!â âJust me.â Annie said soothingly. âFeeling better?â âHowâd yeâŠ?â âBecause you did the same thing after your inaugural speech. And your first Yggsmas Day speech. AndâŠand aftertheir eulogiesâŠâ I nodded. I knew who âtheyâ were. Mum and Dad. Theyâd all been stressful events. At some point, Iâd gotten used to them. But sometimesâŠsometimes I had to lose it. âAye. Neâer couldâŠcould handle the big stuff at timesâŠâ I eventually said. A seat on the floor was good enough for me. Annie joined me after carefully shifting her skirts. ââŠI just put a target on me back, dinna I?â Annie didnât say anything. She simply leaned in closer, her head on my shoulder. I held her hand as I returned the nuzzle. âI just wanna try anâ do the right thing. Make up fer me mistakes. Maybe Iâll be lucky anâ theyâll just vote me outta officeâŠthroneâŠwhicheâer. I honestly woodne mind if that was the case. Pretty sure I can find a job somewhere. Heh. Doona sâpose the Inn is hirinâ, is it?â I was hoping for a chuckle. From either of us. My timing was more terrible than I thought. âBut ânuff âbout me. Dinna ye have somethinâ ye wanted tuh talk âbout?â âNot sure if this is the right time, ColmâŠâ Annie said, snuggling tighter. âItâs private. Itâs later. Anâ Iâm pretty sure we woona be disturbed just yet.â I reassured her. âBut we can just sit here ifân ye want.â It really was oddly comforting. The solitude of the bathroom was heavenly compared to the hustle and bustle the day already provided. And was sure to provide afterwards. I could have sat there for hours with Annie. Or at least until one of us needed the toilet again. Or Cassidy came looking for me. Or an assassin looking for an easy-!â ââŠAudrey wants to take over the Inn.â âWhat? Why?â âBecause she thinks my heartâs not in it anymore.â âI doonaâŠyeâve been wantinâ tuh run the Inn fer as long as Iâve known ye. Ye were so damn happy the day yer parents signed eâerythinâ oâer. Why does she think yeâd give it up?â One look spoke a thousand words. ââŠOh.â âWhenâŠwhen you announced the monarchy shift, and after your comaâŠI started wondering aboutâŠabout so manystupid things. Would we see even less of each other? How long between date nights? Weeks? Months? Would I get even more hate mail from jealous strangers? Would I have time to sneak out to a bloody castle? Was there going to be less business now or more? Would thisâŠwas thisâŠwas this worth it anymore?â âAnnie, that isne stupid tuh think âbout anâ ye know it.â âStill feels like it. AndâŠand I wasnât sure what I wanted anymore. Not untilâŠthe explosion. The roof. On the Innâsroof. I justâŠI need a break. To get away.â So many thoughts. So many things I wanted to tell her. To plead with her. To argue. ToâŠto⊠âIâŠI only eâer wanna see ye happy, Annie.â I said slowly. It broke my heart to say it. But this wasnât about me. This was for her. âIf anyone deserves it, ye do.â âOh ColmâŠI am happy. I love working. I love the Inn. Hells, thereâs time now to get back to my photography. Maybe.â There was a quiet moment as Annie squeezed me tighter. I did the same. It might be the last time. I wanted to savor it. âColm, Iâve a favor to ask.â she whispered. âHmm?â Annie reached up and held my face. Her hands were soft and warm. Gentle. I leaned into them. Iâd steal the sun for her if she asked. âWill you marry me?â ââŠwhat?â âI still love my job, Colm. Always will. But I love you too.â Annie explained. âAnd Iâm tired of being apart. Tired more of being the third or fourth in line to know when somethingâs happened to you. Good or bad.â âEr, well, thatâs kinda me fault at timesâŠâ âYes. Yes it is. But maybe a wife will make you think twice about that.â Something warm was welling up within me. I wanted to scream my answer, to run through the halls shouting the good news. I was ready to answer. Being with Annie would make me the happiest Iâd ever been. Until it hit me all at once. You donât deserve to be happy. Said it yourself. This isnât real. It canât be. Not if she knows the truth. âW-wait. Annie thereâsâŠthereâs somethinâ âbout me I need tuh tell yeâŠâ There was a part of me that wanted her to run. To leave and never come back so Iâd never have to explain. Not to her, not to anyone. Not to me. I didnât want the problem made real, made permanent by saying it aloud. But Annie deserved to know what she was getting in to. âI doonaâŠI havneâŠI havne beenâŠbeen right. In meâŠin me head. Me heart. I dunno how tuhâŠtuh âsplain it properly.â I said, shaking and stuttering all the while. âSomeâŠsome days, Iâll beâŠfine. Eâen happy. Itâll feel likeâŠlike Iâm swimminâ in clear water. But thenâŠsomethinââll happen anââŠanââŠanâ suddenly Iâm treadinâ water or swimminâ through sandâŠall these terrible thoughts come in. TheyâŠthey remind me Iâm notâŠnotâŠthat Iâm a monster. That I doonaâŠthatâŠanâ some days itâs like Iâm barely keepinâ me head âbove the water. Like Iâm fightinâ âgainst mudâŠI doona wanna leave the house. Or me room. Or eâen me own bed. Anâ those timesâŠthose are the times when I dunno if itâs worth tryinâ tuh keep meself from drowninââŠif lettinâ meself sink woodne be betterâŠâ Deep breaths were needed to stop dry heaving again. To stop the tears from coming. To keep going. âIt hasne been tuh bad the last few months, but eâery time I say thatâŠitâŠit has a way aâ justâŠjustâŠI love ye Annie, I do. I truly, truly do. ButâŠbut I doona want ye tuh be stuck withâŠwith whateâer this is goinâ on inside aâ me. YeâŠye doona need that burdenâŠâ No one would have blamed Annie for leaving. Not after all that. Gods Above, why did I tell her? She didnât need to know how broken I was. âYou donât deserve that burden either.â Annie said quietly. It was enough to make me cry. âI want to be there, Colm Arcadi. For your good days and your bad days. Youâd be there for me. You have been there. Let me be there for you.â âThis isne yer mess tuh fixâŠdoona think ye have tuh.â âI love you, Colm. I want to help any way I can.â âI love ye tuh, Annie.â I leaned in for a kiss. She pulled away. âOh, Colm, no. Not with sick on your breath.â We both laughed. We needed it. It felt great. Refreshing. I felt light as a feather as the doubts receded. If only for the moment. knock knock knock âColm, you alright?â Cassidy asked from the other side of the door. âEveryoneâs, er, waiting.â ââŠAre you alright?â Annie asked as we fixed our clothes. âAye, believe so.â I replied after an intense gargle. âCanna get any worse than admittinâ alla that.â âYou ready to greet your loyal subjects, My King?â I looked into her eyes. Her beautiful, hopeful, confident eyes. And saw myself reflected in them. Maybe that would be enough. Enough strength to face the future. Enough to be by her side. âAs ready as Iâll eâer be, Me Queen.â
FFH: TTA - Chapter 20
dA link
Chapter 20: New Offers, Old Pains
The day before the coronation would be a long and exhausting one. Iâd barely gotten my first cup of coffee and things were already piling up. âFirst things first, the revised final plans for the mansion.â Cassidy said as she laid the blueprints on my desk. They were hard to read at first. It took a moment to realize how everything would be moved around again. It was Cassidyâs idea to rework the plans: she feared what Lydia might have said or would say about the inner workings of the new castle. âTheyâll need your final thoughts and approval. Erm, again.â It had been the High Councilâs idea. New place to go with the new names. At first, they merely suggested a Glamour. A superficial covering to match the superficial changes. Iâd been all for it until Bridget spoke up. âWhy not make it the real deal?â sheâd asked innocently enough. âHeh. Can ye imagine the time needed tuh construct a new castle after demolishinâ a historical landmark like the mansion?â Iâd asked in return. The deadline seemed so far ahead while we were at Auntie Melâs house. Truthfully, I hadnât been as scared of it while I was there. Maybe because I was trying so hard to ignore it. Maybe because of all the people to talk it over with, Bridget didnât seem asâŠsavvy about the implications. âI donât mean demolish, I meanâŠlook, Iâm still trying to wrap my head around how Magic works here so correct me if Iâm wrong about this, okay?â âIâll do me best.â âWhat I mean is, why not, uh, transplant Castle ScĂĄth to where the mansion is, and vice versa? Then the mansion can be like the family summer home or something.â âI dunnoâŠâ âOh! No, wait, even better! Why not just Transfigure or transmute the mansion? Swap out the wood and siding for stone and masonry and all that crap?â âThatâs not entirely impossible.â Auntie Mel cut in before I could. It was a genuine surprise to see her poolside. Even more so at the thought of Imelda agreeing to the idea. âMight have to move a few rooms around, maybe even add some. The interior wouldnât have to be changed as much as the outside. Stone walls to protect a modern interior. HmmmâŠthereâs something poetic about that.â âAye, but do ye think itâs necessary? I doubt the rest aâ the Council would-!â âIâll bring it up next we meet. We could even start looking for the needed Master Magicians and architects before then!â And with that, it was out of my hands. Iâd tried to grumble about the cost, but the Council found the funds and the team. It was decided for me. Again. âLeast itâll still be called Castle ArcadiâŠâ I mumbled as I looked everything over. âEr, I doona sâpose there areâŠahâŠany secret rooms inâere?â âThere are 3 different safe rooms, marked by the stars. Each one will require a password to enter and seal.â âAlright that should be good ânuff. Fer now. If we needed tuh change anythinâ laterâŠ?â âThe Master Constructers are under contract for a minimum of 10 years. Theyâll be on call if need be.â âGood tuh know. Sigh. Is there any way we can stop callinâ it the throne room?â âButâŠthatâs where the throne will be. Itâs where Grievance Day will be held from now on. It makes sense.â âAye, but so would callinâ it âCrown Hallâ since thatâs where the crownâll be!â âHA! Good one!â Cassidy giggled. It took her a moment to compose herself. She explained once she saw my confusion. âSorry, that was just a good pun.â âWhat pu-OH GODS DAMNIT. Crown Hall, Town Hall, I get it.â It took only one quick glance at each other. âCrown Hall it is.â we confirmed in unison. âAlright, I think Iâm ready to start.â I said as the blueprints were rolled up and sealed away. I kept my list of appointments on hand to check off names. And prepare myself for the worst. The first hour was spent accepting resignations. Most were resigning in protest to the changes. Trying to tell me they didnât believe I was doing the right thing. Like I hadnât already had relations coming out of the woodwork to say the same thing. Like I didnât already have those same doubts hounding my thoughts for years. Some, however, were resigning for the usual reasons. Theyâd found another job, changing careers, or going back to school. âWeâve actually decided to move out of the city and into the country, Mâlord.â Kateri, a financial clerk, explained as she handed over her letter. âMy wife and I think a little peace and quiet will do the baby some good.â âOh? Congratulations! I dinna know ye anâ Monique were expectinâ!â I said, offering a smile. It was good news to hear. Her blush made it worth it. âWe only got the news a few days ago. Iâm ahâŠa little surprised you remember her, MâlordâŠâ âAâ course, sheâs a baker, right? Made those, ah, lilâ fudge swirly things fer Cassidyâs birthday. I swear she could start a business on those âlone!â âThatâs the rest of the plan, actually. Moniqueâs going to take over her uncleâs bakery in West Clearton, outside of Felbarrow. Thank you for understanding, Mâlord.â âItâll be hard tuh see ye go, but if it makes ye happy so be it. I wish ye the best aâ luck. Ye have a place here if ye eâer need it. Iâll be sure tuh visit someday, promise. Those swirly things were bloody fantastic!â I made sure to mark her name with a star as I checked it off my list. It would be my personal way of knowing who was leaving in good standing and who wasnât. The way a person left a job was more telling than their work record could ever be. The bits of levity and genuine sincerity helped get through the rest of the resignations. Iâd barely the energy or resolve when the interviews started. Dorian arrived on time, of course, with Kenzie on his shoulder. Iâd made sure there was a chair and end table waiting at his size. As usual, I had to tell Dorian to sit once he got closer. I loved the man like a brother, but the Gods forbid he should take the initiative to be comfortable. Kenzie had to be asked the same. The facial scars werenât the only thing they had in common. âIs this something I should be worried about, Mâlord?â Dorian asked right out of the gate. âMaybe, maybe not. But either way, ye can drop the âMâlordâsâ.â I said with a huff. âAnâ that includes ye tuh, Private.â âYesâsir.â they both said at once. I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes or grumbling. It was probably the best I was going to get from them. âFirst anâ fermost, I wanna congratulate ye both on jobs well done. Fer the other night, anâ âcordinâ tuh these reports, the last few months. Itâs clear yer Human Integration Initiative has worked wonders. Ye anâ yer teams will be gettinâ commendations.â âThank you, MââŠsir.â Kenzie said. Dorian nodded his gratitude instead. I could see the beginnings of a grin he was desperately trying to hide. âAnâ promotions tuh go âround as well, Capân McKenzie. The rest aâ yer team will be promoted tuh Lieutenant anâ Second Lieutenant at yer discretion.â âYeâŠyesâŠyesâsir. Thank you, sir.â âI âsume that woona be a problem, General Stryfe?â âI donât see whyâŠexcuse me?â Dorian began. It was a guilty pleasure to catch him off guard that easily. The look on his face was priceless. âDid you justâŠ?â âIf yeâll âcept it, aâ course. General Hannigan has been ready tuh retire anâ after the ânouncement he thinks the time is right fer some ânew bloodâ. Iâve been lookinâ fer replacements eâer since.â I informed them, pulling out a file. âHe gave his own recommendations anâ they come highly decorated. Hells, Dorothy is up there tuh. But yer me first choice, Dorian.â âWhyâŠwhy me?â he asked after a moment. âIsnât it showing a bit of favoritism promoting a friend?â âAye, no doubt âbout that. Anâ it is one aâ me reasons. Yer one aâ me best friends anâ yer moreâan qualified fer the job. Ye woona eâen have tuh give up beinâ a City Guard if ye wanna stay. Knowinâ ye, ye will.â âAnd the other reasons?â ââCuzâŠI doona have this all planned out mind ye, but I wanna expand the Human Integration Initiative. Get more squads in other cities, even some in our standing army. If all goes well, maybe intuh the Navy anâ Dragon Riders if need be. Given time, aâ course. I know yer squad hasne had an easy time uvâit anâ itâs only been a few months. But I have faith in it, anâ I have faith in ye. The both uvâye.â There was a quiet moment as both contemplated the idea. Ideas, really. Iâd honestly expected an answer right away. This seemed like something the both of them would have jumped on. âIâŠI think this is something we need to discuss furtherâŠâ Dorian finally said. Kenzie nodded in agreement. âAâ course. Ifân ye can get back tuh me by tuhnight, Iâd âpreciate it. Fer now, I give ye permission tuh recruit more fer the Human squad. Squads, if need be.â Dorian and Kenzie left before I could offer them a drink or a chat. I couldnât blame them, really. I put more on their plates than they were expecting. âAlright Cass, ye can send the next one in.â I said over the intercom. I took a moment to stretch while I could. It really was going to be a long day. I took my seat again when the door opened. Instead of my next appointment, in walked Cassidy with a basket. âCass, what-?â âYouâve been in here all morning and you need a break.â Cassidy explained once she set the hamper down on my desk. âNot too long, mind. You do still have a line out there.â âOkay, but whatâs with the basket?â âAnnie sent it over. Apparently she thought you wouldnât give yourself a break without some intervention. She wasnât wrong.â âHeh. No, no she wasne.â I said, taking the note off the lid. Seeing her neat but quickly written handwriting was comforting. Less so when the note explained sheâd be too busy that night entertaining the honored guests in the hotel. âThink we can send somethinâ oâer since it seems like we woona be meetinâ tuhnight?â âAnything in particular?â Cassidy asked, notepad quickly in hand. âWine? Flowers?â I took a moment to think it over. Taking that night and the next day into consideration, I jotted down a note for Annie. âFlowers, aye. Red or pink camellias, forsythia, andâŠif coral roses arne in season, red roses will do. Small bouquet, doesne need tuh be a room-fillinâ affair. I think sheâll âpreciate the Pep-Up potion, Riisserland chocolates, anâ chamomile tea blend more. Ifân ye doona mind, Cass.â âConsider it done.â Cass said, taking the note as well. âNow relax. Iâll warn you when your breakâs over.â The smells from the basket were enticing enough. According to her note, my Crosby room password would open it. "Didnât want to take any chances" sheâd written. I was grateful for the caution. More so for the food. As I unpacked everything, I found the real reason for the security. âMiss Malone, how scandalous indeed!â I chuckled as I took in the picture. Annie could be covered head to toe and Iâd still blush. Gods, how I loved her smile. tap tap tap âGAH!â I yelped. Instinct made me reach for a weapon. âBloody hell!â the voice yelled when I turned to face the noise. ââMelia?!â I asked, once I recognized the figure sitting outside the window. It was the only person it could be, of course. What other Human could have trained a Wyvern to land outside a Tergaian office window? I opened it for her and Biscuit after I set my âweaponâ down. âEr, sorry âbout the, ah, lampâŠâ âYes, well, if I was blown out my window by my personal assistant, Iâd be a little paranoid too.â Amelia said as Biscuit hopped onto my desk. I made sure to share the sandwich and pack the rest away before he chose any more for himself. âOh, ye know âbout alla that?â âI find a paper whenever I can. Helps to be up to date.â she explained after dismounting. Biscuit was happily chomping away. âSo, ahâŠhow are you holding up?â âWeâve had better days. Bridgetâs at home, still restinâ. I have a full day âhead aâ me though. How âbout ye? Dinna think yeâd be showinâ up afterâŠwellâŠâ âNeither did I, but I figured after what happened it wouldnât hurt to check in. Everyone else is doing fine. Bill was thinking weâd have to move after that ruckus. Thought theyâd kick us out or try to round us up. Not that we canmove yet, but still.â âIâm so sorry. If I hadneâŠye woodne beâŠ!â âWeâre not. Your girlfriend? The redhead who runs the hotel?â âAnnie, aye, thatâs her.â âWell, she was so grateful we helped that sheâs offered us permanent residency. On the roof or inside. And even gave us an old wireless for the hell of it. Bill still hasnât made up his mind about it. I think heâs waiting until-!â ââTil Rosalind hasâer baby?â You could hear a pin drop in the sudden silence. âH-howâŠhow do youâŠ?â Amelia asked, wide-eyed and confused. âEr, PrivateâŠwell, Captain McKenzieâs report was thorough. I looked it oâer so I had some idea how tuh thank ye anâ yer group.â I half-expected Amelia to fly away into the city when I had my back turned. Iâd spooked her more than I intended. It was a shock and a relief to see her still standing there. âThese are fer alla yeâŠif ye can carryâem all, that is.â I explained once I opened the box in front of her. Amelia wasnât scared to take a closer look. âI mean, ye can make ânother trip or tuh if need be.â âIâm pretty sure Biscuit can handle all these backpacks andâŠextra rucksack?â Amelia said as she inspected one by opening it up. She laughed as she saw the contents. âJesus Christ, whatâs in here?â âI coodne decide what was best soâŠeâerythinâ I could thinka.â ââŠWhat?â âLetâs see, thereâs winter gear, sleepinâ bags, individual tents that can snap tuhgether, though I guess ye woona needâem if ye take Annieâs offer. Thereâs a set aâ standard inoculations fer each aâ ye, some basic campinâ anâ survival suppliesâŠoh! Anâ the rucksack is fer the baby, supplies anâ clothes tuh, anâ I put extra shots in there in case sheâs expectinâ moreâan one kid.â I informed her, trying to remember everything Iâd put into each bag. âThereâs more but I canna recall eâerythinâ. Oh, anâ if anythinâ should happen, âspecially tuh the baby, thereâs an emergency Jumper stone. The instructions are in there. Ye can get tuh a doctor or me, anytime, day or night.â Amelia was speechless. âOh, anâ the bags are enchanted with Spacious. Ye shoodne have tuh worry âbout how much ye put in there.â I was starting to get nervous. Amelia continued to stare at the bags, not saying anything. Even Biscuit had stopped eating. âIf itâs not ânuff, I can-!â I began carefully, only to be cut off by her laugh. âNot enough? YouâŠyou thinkâŠâ Amelia finally said. She wiped something away from her eye. âThis isâŠthisâŠJesus Christ, this is too generous. I donâtâŠdonât know if we canâŠâ âThe âlotta ye helped save me life.â âAll we did was-!â âHelp me eâen when it put yer safety at risk. Anâ inna way, ye helped Bridget tuh. Ye deserve moreâan I can eâer give fer that âlone. Truly. PleaseâŠI insist.â Amelia nodded, and got to work attaching the bags onto Biscuitâs harness. It was a hodge-podge of cloth and leather pieces, but it was deftly crafted despite it all. The rucksack got a special place behind her saddle. âThereâs, er, one last thing befer ye goâŠâ I said, stopping her before she could fly out. âI knew there was a catch.â Amelia grumbled. She started trying to detach the bags before I interrupted her. âNo, no catch. JustâŠan offer. Howâd ye like a job as a Wyvern trainer?â Speechless, yet again. âI, erm, think you can find a falconer quite easilyâŠâ she eventually answered. âNot with the skills ye have or fer the purpose I have in mind. Yer a great trainer anâ it shows. Did ye used tuh do this befer?â ââŠHorses. I used to train horses. Never flown before in my life. Not until I found Biscuitâs egg.â âReally? I saw a Human horse the other day! It was âmazinâ!â âWhat breed was it?â âItâŠhad spots. I dinna think tuh ask.â I chuckled. âBut I think the Human Guards woodne be âgainst havinâ Wyvern mounts, least uvâall learninâ tuh fly from one aâ their own.â Iâd overwhelmed her again. Damn it. âItâs a big decision, I realize that. Ye doona have tuh answer right âway. Hells, I still need tuh work out all the details. Ye can take yer time thinkinâ it oâer. JustâŠpromise me yeâll think it oâer. Thatâs all I ask.â âIâŠwill. Think it over, I mean.â Amelia clarified quickly. âI do have one last question for you.â âAye?â âYouâre going to be a king now, right?â âCome âbout noon tuhmorrow, aye.â âAnd youâll still be working at City Hall?â âNo, unfortunately. Iâll be doinâ most aâ me âkingly dutiesâ at the manâŠcastle now.â âDoes that mean I still have to worry about being shot out of the sky over a bagel?â The question hurt. And maybe it was for the best that it did make me uncomfortable. Iâd need that pain. To remind myself. No complacency this time. âItâs me greatest hope that yeâll neâer have tuh worry âbout that âgain.â âGood!â âOh?â âStealing a kingâs meal makes for a better challenge anyway!â Amelia exclaimed just before she urged Biscuit to fly. I was still laughing hard, long after Amelia had gone. The tears were a relief really. It was nice to cry from joy after so many days of stress and doubt. Cassidy had been right. The lunch break was a good idea after all. Cassidy had taken to her promotion reluctantly. Didnât feel she had enough experience to deserve it. Thankfully it didnât stop her from doing her best. She was a better fit than she realized. It was something we both needed to know. And others still needed to find out. âColm, Iâm sorry. I justâŠI canât accept.â Tim had gotten off on the wrong foot that afternoon. He learned the hard way that my office was newly sealed from most Teleportation spells. Even his. He almost broke his glasses walking into the door. Not that he wouldnât have been able to fix them, but the insult still stood. I needed to do some damage control. âTim, yer the most qualified person I know. Why in all the Hells would I choose anyone else?â I explained as best I could. âThere is literally no one else Iâd wanna be the official Court Magician.â It was true. Tim was a friend, practically a brother. He was one of the most talented, powerful, and selfless people I knew. Whoever existed. I was equal parts jealous and in awe of Tim. He deserved a higher status, at the very least, for all the hard work heâd done. There was no one else I would consider to stand by my side. âIâm sure thatâs not true in the least. There are plenty more qualified than me. With better reputations. WithâŠwithâŠâ Tim tried to counter, but trailed off. He took a moment to steady himself. âI justâŠI canâtâŠI canât faceâŠâ âTim, ye doona have tuh face anythinâ ye doona wannaâŠI promise. Ye woodne eâen have tuh give up university work or personal projects. Hells, ye woodne have tuh move ifân ye-!â âWhy do you think I moved in the first place?!â Tim exclaimed in an instant. I couldnât remember the last time Iâd heard Tim yell. âTuhâŠbe closer tuh Cork UniversityâŠ?â I asked once the shock died down. âTo get far away from Arcadia! To getâŠto get farther away fromâŠfrom youâŠâ âFromâŠme?â I shouldnât have been surprised. Iâd hurt others Iâd considered a friend. Intentionally and accidentally. It still stung, nonetheless. âIâm sorry, Tim. Truly.â I choked out. âI dinna realizeâŠif I knew I was beinâ so awful tuh yeâŠâ The chuckle threw me off at first. I figured Tim didnât believe my apology. I wouldnât have blamed him. He continued laughing until he sobbed. I braced myself for whatever came next. âGods, itâd make this so much easier if you were, wouldnât it?â Tim eventually said. âHells, thatâd just make this whole thing worseâŠâ âWhat âthingâ?â âI hadâŠI had to leave becauseâŠit was easier working near Molly. At least it would be only one reminder of what I couldnât have instead of twoâŠâ Iâm embarrassed to say the light took longer to click than it should have. ââŠOh.â I didnât know what to say. What to think. It seemed Tim felt the same way in that moment. Several minutes passed before I could say anything. âFerâŠfer how long?â I asked cautiously. He didnât owe me an answer. I didnât think I was really expecting one. âSecondary school. Maybe there around. ItâsâŠa long time, thatâs for sure.â he replied. âA long time fer me tuh be so blind.â âNot really your fault. Even my father doesnât know. I kept it hidden. Had to. Wasnât sure if what I was feeling was true or justâŠI donât know. When I realized how I really felt, well, you and Annie were getting serious.â âI wish yeâdâve told me sooner, Tim.â âWould it have changed anything?â Tim scoffed. âAye. Ye woodneâve felt like this fer so long.â I said, coming around to Tim. I offered a hand, which Tim rose to accept. I pulled him into a hug instead. âI love ye, Tim. Iâm sorry I canna love ye the way ye want me tuh.â Tim stayed for a long-delayed talk and much needed crying session. For both of us. Everything fell into place the longer Tim talked. Why he was always willing to lend a hand when asked. Why he was so eager to drop everything for us. For me. I cursed myself for being so thick-headed. âSo are yeâŠseeinâ anyone?â I asked, perhaps not as delicately as intended. âNo. NotâŠreallyâŠâ Tim replied, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. âI mean, thereâs this guy in my department butâŠI canât tell if heâs flirting or just oblivious.â âCanna be any worseâan me!â I chuckled. I was glad to hear Tim laugh too. âListen, I was serious befer. Thereâs no one Iâd rather have as Court Magician. Are ye willinâ tuh think it oâer at least?â Tim was quiet for a moment. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. âDo I have a deadline?â he asked. âAnytime befer noon tuhmorrow would suffice.â âYouâll have my answer before then. I promise.â I didnât want to finish the day after all of that. A part of me wanted to spend time with Tim. He deserved more of my attention after that revelation. Anything to make up for all the neglect. For being soâŠinconsiderate. For being such an awful friend. Duty called, however. My grin widened to the point of hurting as I read the next name on my list. There was a need to put on the âKiss Me Iâm Fathishâ cap Iâd worn all week. It took all I had to resist laughing aloud as they entered the room. âWell, well, well! Mr. Jackson Arcadi! What a surprise!â Even after the interviews and appointments petered off, there was work to do. There was so much that still needed to be taken care of. Iâd put off a lot of it hoping Iâd never really have to face it. Which, admittedly, wasnât helped by being blown out of my office and running across the country for a week. Weâd gotten most of it done before Cassidy kicked me out of my own office. âYouâre making history tomorrow. You need a good nightâs rest!â she stated as she packed up my briefcase. She practically put me in my coat as well. âCaptain Stryfe volunteered to escort you home.â âCass, thereâs still-!â I tried to counter, only to have my case shoved into my hands. âWith all due respect, thereâs not much left to do. Iâll take care of it.â ââŠCass, ye already have the job, ye doona need tuh oâer do it.â âDitto.â âAlright, alright. But doona ye stay tuh long either. Yeâve gotta big day tuhmorrow tuh.â âHahaha yeah, justâŠcoordinating a coronation at the last minute and showing the world what I can do. Whatâs to be worried about?â The look on Cassidyâs face was frozen in a smile, but her eyes said it all. Mainly because they had glazed over, like her mind was a kilometer away. Or worse, she was deep inside her own doubts and insecurities. âCass. Itâll be fine. Yeâve been doinâ so great. Remember that.â I reassured her. She snapped out of it once I squeezed her shoulder. âI mean it. I doona think I can eâer thank ye ânuff.â âWell, there is one thing you can do for meâŠâ Cassidy said, glancing around. I looked as well. There were only a few interns and salaried employees still there. Weâd been working on various minutiae since sundown. Cassidy gestured me to come closer, easier for her to whisper in my ear. âGO GET SOME SLEEP!â Or so I thought. I left laughing. Maybe it was the emotional roller coaster of a day. Or the one the next day would surely be. It didnât matter which, really. It just felt good to laugh. Dorian was waiting outside the door. We walked mostly in silence until we reached the pavement. Iâd expected a full regiment and heavily guarded carriage. It came as a surprise to see nothing of the sort. âI figured we could walk instead.â Dorian explained, leading the way. âItâs a nice night out. We canâŠtalk.â âIâve got at least 3 pots aâ coffee in me anyway. I could stand tuh walk it off.â I replied. The main streets were bustling and crowded. Full of tourists and countrymen come to see the big event. Temporary booths had cropped up full of souvenirs and âtraditionalâ Fathish snacks. More than a couple of them did smell enticing, to say the least. We veered off onto the side streets before I could suggest stopping for a bite. âIâve talked it over with Lorelei. Iâve decided to accept your offer.â Dorian finally said once there were less people around. âThatâs great, Stry-!â âUnder certain conditions.â I should have figured as much. Dorian had been doubtful just hours before. I could only hope the concessions wouldnât be too drastic. âOh? Anâ what conditions would these be?â I asked after a moment. There was the occasional drunken group or tired worker on their way home to avoid. âFirst and foremost, I want you to have bodyguards. Proper ones.â Dorian stated. âA king should have protection at all times.â âI have me Shield charm now-!â âA Shield charm that can be tampered with again?â âSurrounded by people who could stab me in the back?â It was a quiet, awkward moment as we waited to cross the street. âYou know Iâd make sure only the best were chosen.â Dorian eventually stated. âAye, like that trigger-happy Avilla?â I snapped. It came out before I could stop myself. ââŠIâve offered âMelia a job, by the way.â âWho?â âThe Human Wyvern rider. Thought yer squad could use some trained mounts. Dunno if sheâll âcept though.â âIâll welcome her gladly is she does.â Dorian said without hesitation. âAnd far away from Avilla.â âHeh. Iâd âpreciate it if ye did. Any other conditions?â âWere you serious about Humans in the military?â âIf they volunteer fer it, like yer squad did. I woona pressgang anyone intuh service, Tergaian or Human âlike.â âGood. Ever since you mentioned it, I couldnât help thinking of forming a Human squad forâŠdiscreet missions.â We only stared at each other at first. It didnât take much imagination to wonder what he meant. It was something else I had despised about being High Lord. Would continue to despise as King. ââŠI hate spy work, ye know that.â I told him once we got to Sorley Bridge. I stopped to take a look at the swirling river underneath. It was calming to watch it flow. Iâd wondered how easy it would be to jump off. Wondered how quickly it would end. âYouâre about to catch the eye of several nations with their own spies. Youâll need more as soon as possible.â Dorian stated as he watched with me. âEvery monarch needs to know what goes on outside the country.â âGods help me, I hate world politics.â We stood there for a while, watching the water. There was a great temptation to take the plunge. Dorian would follow, if not stop me. I knew he would. I finally gave a nod of approval. âI doona feel right callinâem âspiesâ though. MaybeâŠinfermation gatherers? Intelligence officers? Iâm sure we can come up with somethinâ later.â I said as we started walking again. Home was within sight. There were sure to be people at the gate, even at this hour. âWas there anythinâ else ye had in mind?â âIâm not wearing the damn hat.â Dorian growled. ââŠâ âCaduceus Himself would request it and I still wouldnât wear it.â ââŠâ âIâm serious, Colm.â âI know ye are. Thatâs what makes it so great. Fine, no damn hat.â As expected, the gate was crowded. Mainly by tourists and random Fathish citizens come to see the mansion, and the High Lord, one last time before the big day. Dorian and the gate guards got me through and to the front door without incident. Plenty of pictures were taken nonetheless. The house was fairly quiet as I walked up to the second floor. Boxes were stacked neatly waiting for tomorrow. I took my time and soaked everything in. Walls with empty spots where pictures used to be, waiting to be hung up once more. So many things were going to change the next day. I could only hope I had the strength to bear it all. The door barely creaked as I slipped into my room. That was something else I wasnât accustomed to just yet. I hadnât the need to sneak into my own room since secondary school. Letâs just say there were a lot of late night study sessions with Annie and plenty of chances to be caught back then. It wasnât necessary after all. There was a light shining from a box in one corner of the room. Bridget was awake and in her bathroom. âColm, that you?â she shouted. The curtains parted to reveal her familiar, miniature silhouette. âHeh. Aye, just me. What are ye still doinâ up? Thought yeâd be sound âsleep by now.â âOh, you know how it is. Just last minute panic about what to wear to a coronation even though god only knows whoâll notice you anyway!â I chuckled as I headed to my own closet to change. After all that happened, it was nice to know Bridget still wanted to be in the coronation party. It would have been devastating if she chose to stay at home, but I wouldnât have stopped her. I was having my own doubts about showing up. I wonder if sheâd be up for another week away from civilization⊠It felt good to get out of the suit. Like I was letting all the troubles from the day just fall away. My pajamas never felt more comfortable. Bridget had her own pajamas and rabbit slippers on by the time I headed for bed. I offered an open palm to help her bypass the stairs set beside my mattress. âNah man, I need the exercise.â Bridget explained as she waved me off. âHeh. After the week ye had, yeâd neâer need tuh exercise âgain.â âThe week we had. I stillâŠman, I still canât believe you were following me the whole time.â âNot the whole time, exactly. I was off by a few hours.â I reminded her. I was already lying down by the time she reached the night stand. Her armchair sat near the lamp. It was easier to talk when we were both comfortable. âStill. The whole time. IâŠI canâtâŠColm, I canât tell you how scared I was. I thoughtâŠI thought Iâd be lost forever. That I was going toâŠtoâŠâ Bridget choked out. It took her some time to talk again. It was oversized to her, but I offered a handkerchief anyway. âI appreciate it more than you can ever know.â âYeâd neâer have been in trouble if it werne fer me. I can neâer âpologize ânuff tuh ye.â âProbably not. But the effort is welcome.â Her chuckles were refreshing. It was great to hear her laugh again. To have her safe and sound again. Iâd make it up to her no matter what. Even if it took me the rest of my life. âDid you finish your speech?â Bridget asked. âOr are you just going to make shit up as you go along?â âAye, ye got me. That was me plan all âlong. How did ye eâer guess?â The Kingâs Speech. Good Gods, how many precedents would I be setting tomorrow? How many hearts would I win over? How many enemies would I make? Would I survive the day? Would I want to? âYou alright there, Scruffy?â âHmm? Oh, aye, Iâm alright.â I said when I snapped out of my thoughts. âJust thinkinâ âbout tuhmorrow.â âIâm all ears, Scruffy.â âItâs nothinâ tuh worry âbout, Runt.â âColm, remember the balloon?â Bridget sighed. âIf you fill it up too muchâŠâ ââŠitâll pop. Aye. Just doona think itâs a âpoppinâ kinda thing.â âYour face says otherwise.â ââŠYe canna say I dinna warn ye.â I needed to collect my thoughts. There were quite a lot of them to sort through. I didnât want to overwhelm her. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. âIâm worried Iâm not doinâ the right thing. That tuhmorrow is gonna be me last day on Tergaia. Whether that means someone assassinates me or I break me neck walkinâ down the steps or I throw meself in front uvâa cart. Is Maureen Arcadi herself gonna start hauntinâ me fer doinâ this? What would me ancestors think? Me descendants? Am I eâen gonna have descendants? What if the Alliance neâer âcepts us? What if Iâve just made an entire nation hate me fer a âvanityâ project? What if this is the end aâ the Arcadis? Will Queen Letitia attend or will she be her typical stick-up-the-arse Boudish self anâ skip out? Was invitinâer in bad taste? I thought it would be a good way tuh show Fathachâs sincerity but now Iâm wonderinâ if it wasne seen as an insult. Will the family Mutiny befer I eâer get crowned? What if the crown doesne fit? What if it gets lost? How will people react tuh me speech? What if none aâ that happens anâ it all goes well but then it feckinâ rains?!â There was more but getting that much out was a relief. It all still sounded so stupid aloud butâŠI needed it off my chest. It feltâŠbetter. Not great, but better at least. Until I turned back to Bridget. ââŠI oâerdid it, dinna I?â I asked softly. She hadnât responded. I was half-worried sheâd fallen asleep. Not that I wouldâve blamed her. âNo, no Scruffy. You didnât, I swear. Itâs just a lot to process, especially for a ânot popping kind of thingâ.â she said with a chuckle. âWould it help if I said I know what itâs like to feel that anxious?â âIt would. If I thought anyone could be asâŠparanoid as Iâm feelinâ right now.â ââŠI did. Still do, in a way. IâŠI think Iâm ready to tell you the worst thing thatâs ever happened to me.â âBridget, ye doona have tuh-!â âColm if I donât do this now, I donât think I ever will. JustâŠjust listen. Let me tell you.â I nodded and waited patiently. She needed time and I wasnât thick enough to rush her over it. âIt started about 2 years ago.â Bridget began. âAbout half way through August, I started getting these pains in my sideâŠâ

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FFH: TTA - Chapter 19
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Chapter 19: Confrontations
I was sincerely dreading the moment. The wait was agony in and of itself. There was so much I had on my mind, so much I wanted to say. So much I wanted to scream. But I knew I had to be calm. For a while anyway. I wanted to hear her confession first. They brought her into the interrogation room soon enough. The guards were dismissed as soon as she was shackled securely to the table and floor. They werenât in the mood to take risks. Neither was I. It should have been odd to see her in a prison uniform or to see the manacles on her wrists. Any other person, maybe. But there was no sympathy for the woman who tried to kill me. To kill Bridget. Who was willing to hurt others in her attempt. Someone I thought I could trust with my life. Not even one day behind bars and she still looked calm and collected. Like she was out for a day trip or unexpected holiday. I half expected her to check an itinerary to make sure she was still on schedule. It only made my blood boil more. âIs this your attempt to get a confession?â she asked after a few minutes. âDid you think staring me down in person would be what it took?â A part of me was hoping that would be the case. It wasnât really needed at this point. We had the Carmichaelsâ confessions and stacks of evidence from TETH headquarters. A raid of her office and her home provided the last pieces we would need for a conviction. Alongside a decade-long secret. ââŠItâs not going to work. You might as well just let me go back to my cell. Iâll need time to prepare for my trial and it takes time finding a barrister willing to defend someone accused of treason.â I almost smiled at that. âAccusedâ. This wasnât come unsupported allegation. We had her dead to rights. There was no possible way she thought she was in the clear. âWho knows? This might just overshadow the coronation. Itâs what youâd want, isnât it? To take the attention away long enough for people to forget you and your incompetence?â She really liked to talk, didnât she? It was always her job, of course. Talking, spinning, and explaining everything away with a few words. Why hadnât I really listened all these years? It seemed so obvious looking back. This, or something like it, was a long time coming. Maybe I just never expected her to have gone this far. âGods Love, will you just SAY something already?!â she screeched after a while. She wanted to pretend otherwise but I was finally getting to her. We still had that in common at least. Good at pretending in our worst moments. I didnât say anything. Not at first. I merely took out the book and laid it down between us. Her expression barely changed, but she kept her attention on it. Maybe she wasnât expecting it to be found. Or maybe she was and hoped I wasnât the one to confront her about it. It didnât matter. I needed answers. âWhy?â I finally asked. âWhy have ye been hidinâ me Dadâs planner from me, Lydia?â It was her turn to give the silent treatment. Fine. I was ready to do some talking. âI coulda considered it an oâersight if yeâd given it tuh me sooner. Maybe, oh, I dunno, a few weeks after his death. Hells, maybe eâen after Mum died. I probâly wooda been tuh distraught tuh give it much thought why it took so long. Maybe ye coulda said it was in Mumâs possession. That she hadne the heart tuh hand it oâer yet. Lied anâ said Mum wanted tuh keep it ferâer own. As a way aâ rememberinâ Dad. I wooda believed it. Swallowed it hook, line, anâ sinker. We all wooda, most likely.â Lydia continued to sit there in silence. Her eyes were still transfixed on the book even as I took it back. She followed it when I held it up. âNot now, though. Thereâs no excuse why yeâd keep it in a locked safe in yer office fer almost a decade.â I gave her a chance to talk. Waited for her explanation. I had some idea what was on her mind but wanted to hear it from her. When she kept quiet, I put forth my theory. âNow, this is just me guess aâcourseâŠâ I mentioned, flipping through the pages. âBut I think ye dinna want me tuh see some aâ the things Dad wrote. He had plenty aâ notes in here on âlotta topics. People, tuh.â Still no response. It was starting to irritate me. Not that I was exactly calm about any of this beforehand. âYeâd think someone who dinna want anyone tuh see this wooda got rid uvâit long âgo. Burn it, maybe. Throw it in the river. Maybe just toss it âway anâ hope no one found it. Or maybe if ye were feelinâ really ambitious, ye wooda sold it off tuh someone wantinâ tuh hurt Fathach. Tuh hurt Dad. Tuh hurt any Arcadi. But that wasne possible was it Lydia?â I fought back the urge to start yelling. Barely. ââGain, this is just me guessinâ here, but this is spell-locked anâ heavâly enchanted. Ye coodne get rid uvâit cuz itâs Indestructible. Has a Return charm on it in case it gets lost tuh. Sâposed tuh send it right back tuh the ownerâs desk if it gets tuh far âway. His desk. Currently me desk. Anâ aâ course, ye dinna want me tuh see it. Not after what ye read. Not sure how ye did that, though. No one else has been able tuh eâen open it âcept fer me, Liam, anâ Molly. Closes shut fer eâeryone else. Are ye secretly a Master Magician or did ye just get lucky?â The silence was finally broken by her laughter. ââLuckyâ? You think I was lucky?â she asked once she caught her breath again. âI didnât need to âget inâ. I was his P.A.âs assistant when he was still alive. He told me about his ideas. Me, the fresh out of school intern hoping to make her way up the ladder. How privileged I thought I was to be his ear. Gods, how idiotic it all sounds now. HownaĂŻve I was.â I didnât have to dig for answers now. Iâd hit her sore spot. âI thought youâd be different, of course. With Cuculhain gone, you didnât really know the day-to-day routine. We were there to help. Before my predecessor retired. You remember Arnold, donât you?â ââŠVan Cleef. Retired a few months after Mum died.â I recalled. The name didnât come back right away. âArnie was a good man.â âHe was an idiot. Coddled the bloody Hells out of you. I didnât used to think so, of course. Just thought you Arcadis wereâŠeccentric.â âIâm not sure why ye thought-?â âYOU MAKE COFFEE RUNS FOR CADUCEUSâ SAKE!â she yelled, turning it into another fit of laughter. âYou, the leader of the damn country, going to the local coffee shop! For your staff! Who the HELLS does that?!â âItâs only fair to chip in from time to time, Lydia. Eâeryone-!â âBut youâre NOT everyone! It isnât your job! It isnât your PLACE! Gods, you damn Arcadis are the worst, arenât you? One of the few ruling families in the world to consistently stay in power and you act like itâs nothing. Like it wasnât hard or unusual.â It was unusual. It was difficult beyond comprehension. If thereâs only one thing we Arcadis can share, itâs our delusion that we werenât going to crumble one day. We were lucky to have ruled as long as we have. Itâs a bloodymiracle. But we pretend to ignore it. If we got too full of ourselves, we would fall one day. It was one of the biggest fears I had. Once I became King, how long would I last? âAnâ thatâs why ye decided tuh kill me? Fer beinâ âeccentricâ?â I asked as calmly as I could. ThisâŠconversation was starting to frustrate me. More so than I figured it would. âYou werenât my target. But yes. It was because of your newfound oddity.â Lydia stated with a sneer. âYou just HAD to get a Human, didnât you?â I blinked. She didnât really say what I thought she said, did she? âAre ye tellinâmeâŠye did this, alla thisâŠâcuz aâ Bridget?â âIf you wanted another damn pet, we could have set something up! Gone to a local shelter, find another dog like Barlowe! I know how much you loved that damn thing! Could have made a sizable donation, get some good publicity from it! Hells, we could have gotten you a damn purebred from an allied country and made ourselves look even better before the Alliance!â Lydia ranted. Her chains shook with each word and gesture. âBut no. Of course not. You decided to run away for a week and come back with a Human. A wild Human. Couldnât even go to a shelter or alleyway, had to go out and away! And look where it landed you!â âCloser tuh beinâ in the Alliance than eâer befer?â âNO! Gods be damned even now you think that rat had some sway in all of this! Who do you think had to set everything up? Had to make the right noises, say the right words, cajole and connive to make sure Riese would even consider looking Fathachâs way?â âYet despite yer efforts, King Gerwulf changed his mind thanks tuh Bridget.â Gerwulf told me and Liam himself. That night at the Springâs End Ball, heâd asked for the both of us. He wanted a private chat, away from all the eyes and ears. The drawing room seemed the best place. Gerwulfâs guards kept watch outside the room, at the doors and the veranda. He cast his own Silence spell before we sat down. The only other person was Mr. Livingston but he left after serving drinks. I hated not having Mr. Livingston bustling about; it felt too serious otherwise. âHave ye been enjoyinâ yerself, yer Highness?â I asked once we all had a glass in hand. I could have had a whole bottle to myself if it meant not having to go through the conversation. âVery much so, thank you, my lord.â he replied. He took a sip of whiskey but politely set it back down. Gerwulfâs cane stayed in his hand instead. âYou must come to Riese someday for a seasonâs end festival. Winterâs End is usually quite lovely.â âWeâd be happy tuh take ye up on that, yer Highness.â Liam replied automatically. Liam was our main diplomat after all. Chances were high heâd be the one to go. I hadnât left the country sinceâŠsince Dad died. I hadnât the heart for it. Especially after Mum passed. âPlease. We are alone and away from the crowd. There is no need for such formalities. Gerwulf, please.â heâd said with a stroke of his beard. âNor for the niceties. Allow me to ah, âcut the chit-chatâ.â âAâ course yerâŠGerwulf.â I said. I already knew what was going to be said. I just wanted it done and over with. âAbout your Alliance proposalâŠâ âI âpologize âbout that. This was sâposed tuh be a night fer fun not business. Thereâs no need tuh discuss it any-!â âOh, but there is. Your assistant, I believe, has been badgering me about it every chance tonight. Not outright, mind you, but I am old. Not a fool. Iâve been around the block, so to speak, with these things. Fathach is not the first or last country to seek sponsorship from Riese.â I wasnât sure if I should strangle Lydia for disregarding my orders or give her a raise for setting us back. âFrankly, I thought I had my mind made up already. The last few days in your country have beenâŠnice. But Iâd barely gotten the chance to know you, Colm. Of you, yes, but not directly. Iâd hate to pass judgment before doing so.â No, it would have been fine. I sincerely didnât want the deal to go through. Not yet, anyway. Maybe in another century or two. âThen I talked with your Human friend.â âEr, aye?â I gulped. I could only imagine what sort of international incident Iâd have to resolve before the nightâs end. Hopefully there was enough liquor to pull me through it all. âAnd I changed my mind. I believe Fathach might have what it takes to be in the Alliance.â âWhat?!â Liam and I said at the same time. âIâll not discuss what she told me. I made that promise to her in earnest. I will say it showed me something I was trying to find all night: a chance. Hope.â âA-aye?â âIâm a Vigilant, my lords. And I hold true to its most popular yet overlooked saying: âThose who mistreat the least of us do not deserve the best the Heavens have to offerâ. You are not perfect. But you are trying. There are too many who donât even have that.â I could feel Liamâs eyes on me. We were probably thinking the same thing. No, I knew we were. What the Hells did Bridget say? âI will stand for you at the next Alliance meeting. That will be during the first week of October. You have only a few months, I know. There isnât a good chance youâll be accepted right away. But you will be known.â Gerwulf explained. He kept fidgeting with his cane as he spoke. It was a little annoying, to be honest. âYou must also realize Boudan will be against you. They want to know you can ah, âplay by the rulesâ. That should the time come, youâll name aking.â Weâd worked and fought hard for our independence. Boudan knew we resisted establishing a monarchy. It was one of the things Maureen Arcadi herself avoided. Fathach didnât need royalty. They needed leaders. âThank ye, Gerwulf. We âpreciate it. If thereâs anythinâ I can do tuh make it up tuh ye, name it.â I said, putting on my biggest smile and shaking his hand. âIâm sure there are some trade agreements to be made, but I think for now I would appreciate directions to the nearest toilette.â With that, the king was gone. âSo thatâs it.â Liam said after a while. He finished off his drink in one gulp. âWeâve got the chance weâve been workinâ fer all these years.â âAye.â I took my time with my own glass. âDoesne mean weâll be in, aâ course.â âAye.â âYe werne thinkinâ itâd happen, aye?â âAye.â ââŠYe were hopinâ it woodne.â âWas it that obvious?â âNot really. Took me a few years tuh realize yer heart wasne in it.â âI justâŠI thought it wooda been somethinâ Dad wooda tried tuh doâŠâ I admitted, still swirling my drink. âThen it all got outta hand anââŠanâ I coodne back down after âwhileâŠâ âI know that all tuh well. Why do ye think I became your deputy magistrate anâ diplomat?â ââŠWhat?â âI thought Mum would want us helpinâ each other. AnââŠanâ I always thought beinâ High Lord would be a burden. I wasâŠwas scared fer ye when Dad made his choice. If I had tuh do this âlone? Iâd go mental, thatâs fer sure.â Liam explained, refilling and downing his glass in an instant. âGood thing that dinna happen, aye?â I didnât have the heart to tell him how wrong he was. âSo what do we do now?â he asked. âNowâŠnow Iâm off tuh me study. Maybe start lookinâ fer good arguments tuh make fer the rest aâ the family. Hells, maybe just hide fer the rest aâ the night. This isâŠthis is bigger than I thought itâd be.â âIt was always big, Colm. It just looked smaller from further âway.â Liam added with a pat on the back. âIf yer gonna get plastered on yer own, least doona try tuh break anythinâ this time, aye?â âWhen was the last time that eâen happened?â I asked. I could be a belligerent drunk if I had too much in me, sure. Iâd never deny that. But I couldnât recall being destructive. ââŠElizarbethâs terrarium.â Liam said cooly. âOi, fer the last damn time, that wasne me! Yer damn lizard wreckedâer own damn tank!â âShe would neâer have done that!â âElizarbeth was a four foot long Unicorn Iguana anâ could get out onâer own!â âShe only eâer got out once! âSHE GOT OUT ALL THE TIME ANâ WAS STALKINâ ME! She used tuh watch me sleep, Liam. In me own bed. I nearly threwâer intuh the wall the night I caught her sittinâ on me!â I said. âI woodne be surprised if sheâs still livinâ in the walls somewhere waitinâ fer the right moment tuh strike!â My heart nearly stopped when an unexpected CREAK came from a corner of the room. It turned out to be the door to the liquor cabinet. ââŠLiam, if I die from any mysterious causes tuhnightâŠâ âNow yer just beinâ paranoid.â âYe say that now, but just ye wait! Yer damn lizardâs playinâ the long game!â I laughed. I had to. Iâd forgotten all about that conversation. Bridget and her friend Tyrese had been in trouble soon enough. Completely slipped my mind until then. âWhatâs so damn funny?â Lydia demanded, taking me out of the memory. Iâd almost forgotten why I was there. âJustâŠthinkinâ how that was the night ye met each other.â I said. It wasnât a lie. There were many reasons Iâd avoided the office and work before that night. Lydia was one of them. âWas that when ye decided she needed tuh die?â âI didnât want her to die. NotâŠnot until the next day. When sheâŠgloated about Gerwulf. All those years, all that careful planning, everything scheduled down to the last damn detail! ALL A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE OF THATTHING! It was ridiculous! Preposterous! DISGRACEFUL!â âAs disgraceful as needinâ an Explosive letter tuh get rid uvâer? Puttinâ lives at risk fer one Human? Conspirinâ anâ commitinâ Treason? Anâ thatâs not eâen touchinâ the obvious assassination âtempt.â Lydia didnât have an answer. I, however, still had more on my mind. ââŠWhy Bounce? What was the point aâ casting on that on a charm meant fer me?â âBecause I knew it wasnât for you. When you asked for that spare it was easy to guess who it was really for. Iâm the one who has your supplies reenchanted, remember? You wouldnât need a spare. I was biding my time, waiting for a reason to send the damn rat out in the middle of nowhere and hope itâd die in a ditch. The letter from TETH wasâŠit was an idea they suggested, not one I thought theyâd follow through with.â âBut one ye still went âlong with when it arrived.â âIâŠI didnâtâŠyou werenâtâŠyou werenât supposed to be there when itâŠâ Lydia stammered, stopping to compose herself after a moment. âIt doesnât matter. We both know Iâll be out of here soon enough.â âOh? Anâ whyâs that?â I asked as sweetly as I could. âBecause I know too much. Every dirty little secret that never made it to the papers. Every thought and feeling you donât want anyone else to know. You want to keep all of that covered up as much as I want to be out of these chains. You think youâve found all my hiding spots? Not even close. Iâll never have a trial and you know it.â I laughed. I laughed long and hard. I was in tears by the time I ran out of breath. Lydia was right to look unnerved when we made eye contact again. âYerâŠa heh hehâŠyer wrong âbout so many things, Lydia. So very wrong. There isne anythinâ ye think ye have on me that Iâm not willinâ tuh admit tuh the public. Thereâs no way yeâd be let off just âcuz ye think ye can blackmail me. But most uvâall, anâ this one is the most important, yer wrong âbout facinâ a judge. This was yer trial.â The stunned look on Lydiaâs face almost made me regret the laughter. Almost. When it contorted back into her negotiating smile, all sympathy was gone. âIt seems the High Lord truly is inept if he thinks he can throw someone into prison without their right to trial by a jury of their peers. With a high profile prisoner like me, no less? Even the lowliest criminal can-!â âThe Iagan Act of 1817.â I reminded her. âA rarely used but legal precedent set down for extreme cases. When a criminal proves they are too dangerous for a public trial, a private trial is allowed.â âI am NOT a-!â âYe just confessed tuh usinâ a dangerous anâ excessive spell tuh destroy a single Human in a buildinâ full a Tergaians. Iagan Arcadi tried tuh rid his house uvâa spider by tryinâ tuh burn it down. I doona see the difference.â âYou canât just-!â âLydia Angana Patel, as the highest law aâ this land, I hereby pronounce ye incompetent tuh face a public trial. With yer confession-!â âNO! I HAVE CONFESSED TO NOTHING! YOU CANâT JUST-!â âWith yer confession anâ state aâ mind, I have no choice but tuh sentence ye tuh life in prison. Parole will only be considered after a minimum period aâ twenty years or based on yer good behavior.â âYOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU CANâT DO THIS! I HAVE RIGHTS! I KNOW YOU, ARCADI! IâLL TELL ANYONE WHOâLL LISTEN ALL YOUR SECRETS!â âGoodbye, Lydia. May the Gods have mercy on ye.â The guards tried their best to wrangle Lydia in, but she was screaming and fighting too hard. It took her trying to bite one before she was gagged. I had to stop the other from using her baton to settle Lydia down. Even as she was dragged out of the room, she was trying to scream at the top of her lungs. It was more painful to watch than I thought it would be. Only after her screams stopped echoing did I let out my true frustrations. I donât know what I hated more: the loss of someone I trusted for a long timeâŠor using an outdated law to punish them. Either way, I felt horrendous. Sick. Like I truly was a great big dumb monster. ââŠFeel better now?â Dorian asked once all was said and done. He stepped out of his corner and made me sit down. Against the wall, it turned out. âNot in the least.â I mumbled. My hands felt like fire and I was out of breath. I just wanted everything to be numb again. If only for a little while. âWell, at least the table and chairs will think twice before messing with you again.â âIs this what itâs going to be like now?â âOnly if you have a thing against pine.â âAm I gonna have tuh watch me back all the time? Second guess people I think are friends? JustâŠhide meself eâenmore?â The quiet said it all. At first. Dorianâs sigh was expected. His sitting down next to me was not. âI wish I could tell you. I wish you didnât have to worry about these things.â he said softly. âBut we both know you canât ignore them either.â âI may be daft Stryfe, but Iâm not that daft.â âIt did seem to slip your mind that the Iagan Act has always ended in an execution, not a life sentence.â The words ran through my mind but never made it to my tongue. How could I explain it properly? Whoâd be able to understand? Lydia may have tried to kill me and one of my best friends butâŠI justâŠI just couldnât do it. I couldnât sentence her to death. âThisâll come back tuh bite me in the arse, woona it?â âMaybe. Maybe not. Only time will tell.â Gods Above, what I wouldnât give for more time. âSpeakinâ aâ time, Iâve other places tuh be befer tuhmorrow.â âDonât you mean Sunday? Unless youâve moved the coronation up a day?â âNo, tuhmorrow I still need tuh interview people fer new anâ olâ positions. Includinâ ye.â âMe?â Dorian asked, flustered. It was another rare sight but one I enjoyed experiencing. âAnâ Private Kenzie. But fer now, Iâve a date with a lovely lady whoâs been entirely tuh patient ânuff with me already.â It wasnât a date. Not exactly. Truthfully, I wasnât sure what would happen when I arrived at the Relax Inn unannounced. I came prepared as best I could. The basics I had down pat: flowers, in her preferred bouquet; her favorite wine in good vintage; and the much needed apology lamp. It was the largest I could find on short notice. But most of all, I was preparing myself for the break-up. In case this was the last straw. Annie couldnât be blamed. It was all my fault. It always was my mistake. Annie deserved better. And if this was what it took, then I wouldnât fight it. âColm? Is thatâŠit is! COLM!â I nearly jumped at the voice. The lobby of the Inn was usually a crowded, loud place. Today was no different. The queue was longer than Iâd ever seen it. Many turned to look, most whispered, waved, or took a picture when they recognized me. Good Gods, I was going to have to deal with this more, wasnât I? âIF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR PLACE IN LINE THEN KEEP YOUR PLACE IN LINE!â Audrey thought to call out when a few tried to make their way to me. She ran out from behind the front counter once all was settled. I was in a hug before I knew it. âColm, thank the Gods! Youâre alright!â âAye, Audrey, I am. Itâs good tuh see ye tuh.â âWhat are you doing here? Shouldnât you be home resting or getting ready or something?â âErm, ah, I came tuh see AnnieâŠif she wants tuh see me. DoesâŠdo ye think sheâŠsheâd wannaâŠ?â Annie was the first person I called once I got inside Castle ScĂĄth. Iâd asked Bridget to take over the memo pad and list duties. Most of the Humans knew where they needed to go. Some didnât. A few, I think, were seriously considering making the castle home. It took a while to get through, even longer to get Annie on the line. The Inn was the most popular hotel in Arcadia after all. With a historic event around the corner, it was no surprise for it to be busy. Or hear Annie so frazzled. I didnât need to get much into the conversation. The moment Iâd said her name, she went off. Several minutes passed as she screamed and berated, sobbed and choked, and eventually calmed down long enough to ask how I was. Gods, it really was one of the reasons I loved her. She was never afraid to speak her mind. The look on Audreyâs face made me think Iâd made a mistake. Wouldnât be the first time, obviously. Just as I was about to cut and run, one of the attendants waved for our attention. âMâlord? Miss Annie says to meet her upstairs.â the attendant said once I walked over. âIn the Crosby Room.â âAlright, thank ye very much.â I was nervous as I climbed the stairway. There were no others on the stairwell, thankfully, but the feeling remained. I wasnât sure what to expect. More yelling, for certain. The coast was clear by the time I reached the correct landing. A well-kept secret of the Inn and it had the most simple of protection spells. Illusion to hide the door, reinforcements and passwords specific for certain people. People whoâve used the room once cannot enter again with the same password. Unless youâre family. Or close enough to it. âGressleweed Casserole.â I whispered. The door revealed itself in an instant. There was a compulsion to knock on the door. It creaked open at first, but swung wide in an instant. âColm, thank the Gods!â Annie exclaimed once she got her arms around me. We stayed there in the doorway long enough for it to automatically close behind us. And push us in forcefully. âThere goes that lampâŠâ I said while we got up from the floor. âIâll get ye ânother one, promise.â âIâm just so glad to see you.â âReally? I dinna think yeâd wannaâŠâ âColm, the last time I saw you was in hospital after you knocked yourself out. Iâm justâŠitâs a relief to see your face and not just hear your voice. I missed you so much, Idiot.â âAye, missed ye tuh. Anâ Iâm sorry ferâŠfer eâerythinâ. I dinna mean tuh run out âgain. I shooda told ye in person at least anââŠanâ Iâll make it up tuh ye anyway I can.â âYou can start by telling me what happened.â And I did. I spent the time laying by her side and telling her about my frantic week. All the incidents, all the things I learned, the thoughts that came across my mind. Well, not everything. I didnât want to worry her with all the details of close-calls orâŠor the depressing realizations. Annie let me talk for the most part, but asked questions every now and again. I thought for sure I was boring her. I was never a great storyteller. I didnât lead an exciting life. Her polite attention was appreciated nonetheless. âWhereâs Bridget now? Howâd she take the news about Lydia? They were never on best termsâŠâ âSheâs at home, restinâ. The Bouncinâ took more out uvâer than she thought. But she ranted up a storm befer passinâ out. Had more tuh say âbout Lydia than I thought.â âAnd you? How are you handling all of this?â That was a good question. One I still thought needed more deliberation. ââŠI thought I knewâer. We werne best friends or anythinâ, butâŠI canna believe I dinna see it cominâ. We got on each otherâs nerves but I coodne imagineâer goinâ so far just âcuzâŠâcuz aââŠI dunno. âCuz Iâm tryinâ tuh do better?â It was hard to explain. The words didnât sound right. Nothing about the situation seemed right. âI just wish I werne such an idiotâŠâ I muttered as I pulled Annie closer. Gods, how I wished I could stay like that forever. Quiet and serene as I cuddled with the person I loved best in the world. Life didnât get much better than that. âYouâre not an idiot, Colm. You canât blame yourself for this. No one could have seen this coming.â Annie tried to reassure me. She snuggled closer, holding me tighter. âI mean, Bridgetâs not my favorite person either, but thereâs such a thing as going too far.â âSheâŠisneâŠ?â âOf course not. She just gets to hang out with him.â It took longer to catch on than Iâd like to admit. âOh. Oh! Iâm yer favorite person, am I?â âHmm. Maybe a bit on the slow side, but I wouldnât trade you for all the gold in the world.â The sentiment made me feel better. A little bit. But in the back of my head, there was still a little part of me that feared the worst. I kept it as silent as I could. I didnât want to ruin the moment. âI donât suppose youâd be up for a quickie before the real world catches up again?â Annie asked after a while. âMmmmâŠdoesne have tuh be all that quick, does it?â I asked as I leaned in for a kiss. Just as we got each otherâs shirts undone, the phone rang. Of course. âGods damnit!â Annie yelled as she reached for the bloody ringing thing. âThis better be a Gods-damn emergen-! Oh? What? How did that-? No, they werenât supposed to be here for another hour! No, itâs fine, Iâll be right down.â âEâerythinâ alright?â âThereâs been a room mix-up and now I need to avert an international incident. You know how it is.â âA lilâ bit.â We got dressed and left the room quickly. Something else came to mind as we started down the stairs together. âI almost fergot: yer still cominâ tuh the coronation, right?â ââŠNo Colm, I think I need to wash my hair that day. Yes, of course Iâm coming!â âI just wanted tuh know if ye wanted tuh sit up on the stage with Liam anâ Molly anâem or if yeâd prefer a front row seat or somethinâ. I know ye doona like beinâ the center uvâattention at big events like that.â I almost crashed into Annie when she stopped. The look on her face told me everything in an instant. It terrified her. âIâŠthatâs a good questionâŠâ she said after a moment. âCan I get back to you on that?â âAâ course! Though I think weâd change it fer ye at the last minute if need be.â ââWeâ?â âOh, aye, Cassidy is still planninâ eâerythinâ out.â I explained while we continued down. âSheâs handlinâ it all sobeautifully. She did have a different question thoughâŠif ye were on stage, with us, what would we call ye?â âMy name, Iâd assume.â âHeh. No, I think she meant yer title or relation. I said why not call ye the Kingâs Consort but âparently thatâs more like âwifeâ not âgirlfriendâ.â âI thought it could mean both?â âThatâs what I thought tuh.â âWell, Iâm fine with Consort if need be. Girlfriend is fine, but I get why it doesnât sound soâŠâdignifiedâ.â she said when we reached the bottom. âIâm not sure how bad thisâll be. Can we meet up later? Or tomorrow?â âDunno âbout tuhmorrow. Got a great big heap aâ day interviews. But if Iâm free tuhmorrow nightâŠ?â âIâll call you to make sure. Good luck out there, Colm.â âAye, ye tuh Annie.â The kiss seemed to last forever. At least, I wanted it to last. But, yet again, we were interrupted soon enough. âOh! Sorry!â the man blurted as he opened and closed the door. âI hope it woona always have tuh be like thisâŠâ I grumbled. âJust think, with the crown comes a new castle. New castle meansâŠnew secret passages and hidden rooms.â Annie said playfully. âWho knows the kind of mischief we can get up to!â âGasp! Miss Malone! How scandalous! Think aâ the rumors sure tuh go âround!â âYou know you love it.â âI know I love ye.â The real world laid behind the door, but there was still time for one more kiss. âOH!â And one more pinch. âMiss Malone! How ferward!â
FFH: TTA - Chapter 18
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Chapter 18: Divine Observation
They never felt like dreams. More likeâŠmemories trying to remind me of themselves as I slept. They mostly came in flashes. Nothing seemed to last. But it all came back in an instant. The light was so warm. Bright. Comforting. I finally felt safe. I wanted the feeling to last forever. It wasnât to last. I awoke in a field, laying against a tree. The sun felt dull somehow. Nowhere near as warm or bright as it should have been. Nothing looked familiar. The grass went on for miles. Mountains were far off in the horizon. What buildings I could see were a fair distance away. âMmmâŠwhere am I?â I murmured to myself. My body felt light but weak. I was afraid Iâd float away if I tried to move. âCan you not guess, Colm Arcadi?â My heart nearly stopped at the voice. It was sweet and calm and seemingly came from nowhere. A glance around found no one nearby. Or so I thought. âBehind you, Colm Arcadi.â She was reading a book while sat on the tree. The lady was comfortably lounging on a thick, heavy branch. She was concentrated on the pages before her and paid me no mind as I stood up. âEr, pardon me maâam, but where-?â I tried to ask politely. âTake a look around you and try to remember. The answer may yet come to you.â I tried. I sincerely did. It all looked the same to me. Nothing to be seen, to recognize. Indistinguishable, to put it nicely. âPerhaps it would help if you tried to recognize me first, Colm Arcadi.â she suggested after a while. I wasnât sure how it was supposed to help. Her face didnât look familiar, not right away. Iâd seen plenty of Visdian women in town who wore the veil and sari. Or was it the langa vani? I got them confused sometimes. The blue hues of her clothes were nice. The colors all seemed to swirl in and out of each other. Her book was heavy and leather-bound. No title could be seen. She finally looked up from its pages. Her eyes were like the sky at noon. A blue so bright and clear that I thought Iâd be lost in them forever. I almost thought I could seeâŠeveryâŠthing⊠It finally clicked. âMâLady Kismet!â I was on bended knee in an instant. It was the least a person could do when confronted by the Goddess of Fate and Destiny. âFergive me, MâLady! I dinna know anâ I âpologize deeply. Spare me, MâLady, anâ Iâll-!â âWorry not, Colm Arcadi.â Lady Kismet said, returning to Her book. âThere was no wrong to right. You could not have been expecting me.â âErm, no, MâLady. I wasne.â âPerhaps now you might know where we are?â I wracked my hazy brain for an answer. Lady Kismet was here. But it didnât feel like any of the Heavens. There was no overwhelming sense of joy or happiness the Tome always described. Nor any of the despair or pain associated with the Hells. It felt like neither of them yet both⊠âAre weâŠis thisâŠthe Medius, MâLady?â âCorrect. Please do get up, weâve places to go.â Lady Kismet stated once She hopped off the branch. Her book was closed and held tight against Her chest. âWalk with me, Colm Arcadi.â âAye, MâLady.â We walked along a paved, well-worn path. Our footfalls against the stone were the only sounds for a while. I gave MâLady the occasional nervous glance. She was tall, taller than me. Trying to guess what was in store was agony. Looking onward proved worse still. Flashes came back. The explosion. The Wyvern. The blood and pains and grief and crawling numbness as I had to watch-! âBRIDGET!â I blurted out. âIs she âlive? Did it work? Is sheâŠ?â Lady Kismet didnât turn to face me. Nor did She consult Her book. It was said everyone and everythingâs destiny was written in its pages. Maybe I was expecting too much that a Humanâs life was worth recording in Her book. Her silence was devastating. ââŠI cannot say.â Lady Kismet said after a moment. It was more than I could bear. My legs gave out under me. I was sitting in the middle of the road before I knew it. She was supposed to make it out. Bridget was supposed to live. What was the point of anything now? Iâd as good as failed. âI cannot sayâŠbut you might find your answer elsewhere.â Lady Kismet gently said. She placed a hand on my shoulder when She leaned down. It was tender, but strong. AlmostâŠreassuring. Or threatening. It was hard to say. âBut the only way to know is to go forward.â âA-ayeâŠaye, MâLady. As ye sayâŠâ The landscape didnât seem to change as we walked. Nothing got farther from us nor did we get close to anything. As expected of the Medius, of course. It was the middle road, so to speak. Neither a Heaven nor a Hell, only a place of isolation and contemplation until a soul was allowed somewhere. It terrified me. Lady Kismet seemed not to notice. She walked as if She knew where She was going. The silence was starting to make me more and more anxious with every step. âIâŠsâpose me beinâ here meansâŠIâve died?â I quietly asked. I braced myself for Her reply. There was a greater fear of upsetting a Goddess with stupid questions than if I had passed on or not. âPerhaps.â Lady Kismet answered simply. âAnâ beinâ here means IâŠI havne done ânuff tuh get intuh one aâ the Heavens or the Hells?â âPerhaps.â âShooda guessed as much. Iâve neâer done anythinâ worthwhile with me life anyway. Deserve no more than it, really.â âThere are those whoâd think otherwise, I believe.â MâLady suggested. She stopped and gestured toward the side of the road. I followed her hand and my heart nearly stopped. Again. The impulse to run was only tempered by MâLadyâs presence. Before I could even ask, in case She needed me to stay with Her, she smiled. âGo. Youâve time enough for this, at least.â I had to contain my excitement. I didnât want to crash into them. I didnât wasnât to overwhelm them. As I got closer, I realized⊠I didnât want to disappoint them either. It was too late. They were turning to face me. It felt like an eternity as they took my face in, and I theirs. I thought Iâd never breathe again at the sight. âMum? Dad?â âCOLM!â they proclaimed together. Tears came as quickly as the hugs. Laughter and sobs continued on for ages. They felt soâŠsolid. So real. Like theyâd never left. It was a feeling that should have lasted forever. But we broke apart soon enough. âWeâŠweâve missed ye so muchâŠâ I choked out between sobs. âLiam anâ Molly anââŠanâ eâeryone! YeâŠye wereâŠâ âOh, oh Gods, weâve missed you too, luv!â Mum chuckled with tears in her eyes. âLook at you! YouâŠyouâre soâŠoh Colm, my baby!â I didnât realize how much I missed her grabbing my cheeks. She was so short, it was the only way she could âbring me downâ to her. Her hands were so warm and small. The tears werenât going to stop anytime soon. âItâs good tuh see ye âgain, Lunkhead.â Dad said as he pulled me into a hug. Strong, large, comforting. A little hard on the ribs. No one could say so much in one embrace like Dad could. âIâmâŠIâm so sorry, lad.â âDad, itâsâŠitâs not yer fault Iâm here!â âIsne it?â he said, pulling away so we could see each other eye to eye. Dad and I were the same height butâŠa part of me would always see him taller. Stronger. A better person. The tears held no bearing on those thoughts. âI was sâposed tuh be there by yer side. Tuh help ye. Ye were neâer sâposed tuhâŠtuh be thrown intuh leadinâ a bloody fookinâ country. I wanted tuh stay. I wanted tuh, with all me heart. IâŠI let ye down anââŠanâ thereâs nothinâ I can do tuh make it up tuh yeâŠâ The words caught in my throat. There was so much I wanted to say but couldnât. Just looking at him, hearing him say those thingsâŠhow was I supposed to respond? âYeâve been hurtinâ anâ itâs all me faultâŠâ Dad whispered as he turned away. âNo, no stop, it isneâŠMum, Dad, it isne yer fault!â I tried to explain. Their smiles were gone, the tears stopped. I couldnât bear to see them like this. Iâd found them again. There was supposed to be happiness, not distress. âYe coodneâve known. No one couldâve! Itâs not yer fault IâmâŠIâm justâŠbroken inside!â I didnât mean to say it. Not to them, not to anyone. No one was supposed to know. YetâŠit came as such a large relief to finally say it. To finally say it to them. âColm, donât say that!â Mum stated in an instant. âYouâre not broken! Youâve grown so much and done so well. You should be as proud of yourself as we are!â âPROUDA WHAT?!â I yelled. I didnât mean to say it that way. The newfound panic in their eyes made me want to stop. To run. Like I always did. I didnât have it in me to face them with this. But I kept talking anyway. âNo matter what I tell meâself or others try tuh say, Iâm not proud aâ meself. Or me life. IâŠI just canna like meâselfâŠor what I doâŠwhat I didâŠanââŠanâ I justâŠhow can I be all that anâ not have somethinâ wrong with me?â Their silence said it all. I was wrong. This wasnât the Medius. This was my own personal Hell. A hand on my shoulder scared the life -or death- out of me. The tension broke as I turned to see who was there. âYou have had your say, Colm Arcadi. I must ask you to come now. Time is short.â MâLady Kismet stated quietly. I turned to Mum and Dad, trying to say something. Anything. No words came. There were none I knew that could fill the void. âThey may come as well, but only if they obey my words.â âAye, MâLady, aâ course.â Dad agreed, taking Mumâs hand. âI must ask you not to speak out of turn.â MâLady began. âNor will you step out of place. It is important that you do not interfere in any way.â âWhatâŠwhat are we tuh do, MâLady?â I asked. Anything to pretend my parents werenât thinking about their disaster of a son. Anything to keep me from thinking the same. ââWeâ are to witness a decision. A judgment will be made. A sentence given. A fate decided.â âWhose fate, MâLady?â âWe shall see, Colm Arcadi.â The landscape disappeared before our eyes. In its place stood temple columns and marble floors. Light shone through the glass and crystal that hung above. We were not the only ones wandering among the temple. They barely acknowledged us as we walked closer. Some bowed or nodded when they saw MâLady Kismet. Others were quick to step out of Her path. No one wanted to get in the Queen of the Gods way. We were gestured to stop when we came closer to the center of the building. It seemed empty for the most part. A pedestal with a ball stood in the middle. It glowed softly as it hovered serenely beside a cloaked figure. âIs this who weâre witnessinâ, MâLady?â I whispered. The solemnity of the place reminded me of a library. Or a graveyard. âNo, Ankou is here to witness as well.â She replied quietly. A quill appeared in her hand after She opened Her book. The sudden movement caught my eye by instinct. I turned away in embarrassment as MâLady chuckled. âOnly I can read from the book, Colm Arcadi.â ââPologies, MâLady. I dinna mean-!â âMy husband is far worse than you in that respect, I assure you. It is quite alright, Colm Arcadi.â âEr, ye can just call me âColmâ, MâLady. That is, if ye like.â âYouâll forgive me if I canât. There are many Colms. Many Arcadis. Your name keeps me in the here and now. You are not the first Colm Arcadi. You will not be the last.â MâLady Kismet turned back to the center towards the ball and its pedestal. A new pair of figures had arrived. Ankou seemed to know them, as He only nodded His acknowledgment. âDo you recognize them?â MâLady asked. It took a moment to identify the figure in white. His plaits were hard to make out but His bearing and His toga gave Him away. âThat is MâLord Caduceus.â I answered. The woman next to him was a mystery, however. She looked like no Goddess I knew. Nor did she seem like a Demi-Goddess. A child of the divine, perhaps? Maybe another mortal brought as a witness? âWhoâs the woman withâim, MâLady?â âThe one whoâll be making a monumental decision today. You know her, Colm Arcadi. Look harder. Say her name.â Who the Hells is she? I wondered as I stared. Brown hair, in pigtails that looked aâshambles. Rather portly and a head shorter than Caduceus and Ankou both. Glasses, as well, as far as I could tell. Iâd seen plenty of faces each day, how was I supposed to know who-?â âGOODS GODS IS THAT BRIDGET?!â I blurted out, louder than needed, when it hit me. The others, including MâLady Kismet, glared at the interruption. ââŠsorry.â âWhoâs Bridget?â Mum asked, trying to get a better look at her. âSheâs meâŠsheâs a Human. We were in the same accident. I doona understand how sheâs here. Or how sheâs soâŠtall?â âMakes sense tuh me.â Dad said nonchalantly. He only blanched when the three of us turned for an explanation. âEr, well, death is sâposed tuh be the great equalizer, isne it? Why should our souls be restricted tuh the heights we had in life?â âA very astute and philosophical observation, Cuculhain Arcadi.â âBut what decision is she gonna make? Or canna we know that yet?â âShe will choose if she wants to go home, and how, Colm Arcadi.â âIâŠI donna think ye need me here fer this. Her answerâs gonna be tuh go home.â I said, staring at Bridget. Gods, how hard it was to look at her face. There were more details, everything was easier to see. No guessing at obvious expressions. Like happiness. Anger. Relief. Sorrow. âSheâŠshe deserves tuh go home.â âPerhaps. But you will stay nonetheless.â âAs ye wish, MâLady.â A hush fell over the crowd as we all strained to listen. We neednât have to, as Caduceusâ voice carried through the rotunda. â-need do is touch this ball to activate the spell.â MâLord explained, concentrating on the orb. The glow and colors swirled and pulsed beneath His gaze. Do it. I thought. Touch the ball. Go home. Go back to the life I stole you from. âButâŠyou said you couldnât send anyone back.â Bridget said, focused on the sphere. Hypnotized, maybe? âGood Gods, eâen now sheâs questioninâ the GodsâŠâ I murmured. I gasped as the conversation went on. âAnâ insultinâem. Great. Nice tuh know death hasne changedâer, at least.â âOh, I think I like her already. Er, no offense, MâLady.â Mum said after a moment. MâLady Kismet merely nodded. She was too concentrated on the scene before us. Her quill scribbled steadily across the page. âHow do you know her, Colm?â âIâŠsheâŠsheâsâŠâ I tried to explain, but choked. The words refused to be said. Or maybe I felt sick just thinking about explaining to my parents. They already thought their son was a lost cause. Why make it worse? â-unlucky Tergaian who sits on the edge between life and death who would probably find themselves in Ankouâs realm soon enough anyway.â âAch. Canna say I feel sorry fer the poor sod whoâs gotta sacrificeâis soul.â Dad commented under his breath. âMustâve done somethinâ awful tuh deserve this.â A cold chill ran down my spine at his words. Everything seemed to only get worse with the explanation. âW-whoâŠwho are you talking about?â I barely heard Bridget say. She didnât need to ask. I already knew. âLord Colm Matthew Alexander Brian Arcadi, Magistrate of Arcadia, High Lord of all Fathach, High Commander of her forces, Defender of her peoples, by the grace of the Gods, long may he reign.â I heard the gasps. Felt the stares. I couldnât turn to look at my parents. I already knew what they thought and how they felt. They didnât need me trying to deny it. âMâLady, please! There must be some mistake!â I heard Mum say. She sounded so far away already. âSomething we could do!â âIt is not my choice to make, Samantha Willikins.â MâLady stated. âIt is not your mind to sway.â âThen take me âstead!â Dad said, stepping in front of me. He tried to step past the columns and into the center. He was ready to confront a pair of Gods on my account. My hand shot forward to stop him. Another hand was already there. âIt is not your choice.â MâLady stated as She pulled Dad back. Something had changed in an instant. MâLady Kismet wasâŠharder, somehow. Taller. More imposing. There was a storm brewing in Her icy glare. âIt is not yourplace.â âWeâre not âbout tuh let this happen!â ââŠstop.â âThere must be some other way!â âStop.â âHeâs our son, we canna just-!â âSTOP!â I couldnât take it anymore. The glares, the gasps, the judging; I could have handled it. But hearing my parents defend me wasâŠit was too much. âBloody Soddinâ Hells, just stop! Ye doona eâen know what I did tuh deserve this! JustâŠjust let it be!â I exclaimed, finally turning to face them. Mum and Dad were shocked. It was clear. But I swore I saw disappointment and shame as well. I know I would have felt the same. âIâŠI kidnapped Bridget from Earth. Knowing she coodne go home. ThinkinââŠthinkinâ nothinâ uvâit âtil sheâŠâtil she got hurt. Anâ I still kept it a secret. Lied tuhâer. She woodne beâere if it werne fer me. Sheâd still be âlive if it werne fer me!â âColm, baby, itâs-!â Mum tried to say. I turned from her before she could say anymore. This was my own personal Hell. My parents would know how horrible a son they had. âIf me soul is what it takes tuh getâer home, than so be it.â I told MâLady Kismet. She had returned to a calm demeanor. Her writing was frantic once again. âIâŠI woonaâŠfight it. ItâsâŠGods âBove, I wish there were more I couldâve done fer her beferâŠbefer the endâŠâ I donât know what I expected really. A slow painful disintegration? A quick blast into nothingness, perhaps. Whatever I thought, the hands of my parents gripping my own wasnât on the list. âWeâre right with you, son.â Mum sniffed. âYou wonât be alone.â âYeâŠye doonaâŠâ âAye, Lunkhead. We do.â Dad confirmed. The entire temple had gone silent as we waited for Bridget to make the choice. Memories flashed in and out of my head. Liam. Molly. Tim. Mr. Livingston. Dorian. Annie. Oh Gods, Annie. I wanted to do better by her too. She deserved so much better than me. Maybe with me gone, sheâd find someone worthy of her. âIsâŠis there still a chance he could live?â Annie as a last thought would have been a fine way to go. âColm Arcadi has an even chance of living or dying. Just as you did.â Annie Malone, I love you dearly⊠âIf thatâs trueâŠif itâs not certain heâllâŠheâll dieâŠthen Iâll have no part of it.â What? Bridget stepped away from the pedestal. Stepped away from MâLords. She was walking away from her only chance. âWhatâŠwhat is sheâŠ?â I asked aloud. The shout died in my throat. My feet moved on their own, trying to keep pace with her. Bridget was already heading down a staircase by the time I stopped. âWhat did she just do?â âShe made her choice, Colm Arcadi.â MâLady Kismet stated, appearing at my side in an instant. âBut why? Gods damn it, why did sheâŠshe couldâve been home by now! Sheâd neâer have tuh seeâŠsee any aâ this âgain!â âA moment.â MâLady said, gripping my shoulder. MâLord Caduceus was now walking towards the staircase as well. He stopped and turned to stare at us. Or rather, at MâLady Kismet. Caduceus paid me no mind. They exchanged nods before MâLord made His way down the stairs. âDo you wish to know why she made her choice, Colm Arcadi?â âAâ course!â âThen you must come with me. I am sorry, but they cannot come this time.â MâLady said once my parents caught up with us. âIâll be right ba-OOF!â I tried to say, only to have Mum barrel right into me for a hug. âIt was so good to see you again, ColmâŠâ âHeh. It was Mum, it really was. But Iâll be right back. I promise.â Dad joined in before I could pull myself away. âYer stronger than ye think, lad. We know ye are.â Dad whispered as he leaned in for the hug. âWe love ye, Lunkhead.â It was comforting to have then again. I almost didnât want to leave them. Almost. âI promise, Iâll be back.â I reassured them. MâLady Kismet led me down the stairs. I gave one last glance back. ââŠI hope.â MâLady Kismet made no comment. The only sounds for a while were our own footsteps. I began to doubt we were going anywhere. Like we were on a never-ending staircase. Another part of the Medius, perhaps. Bridget and MâLord shouldnât have been that far ahead of us. I was about to share my doubts when I finally heard the voices. â-give a straight answer, huh?â I heard Bridget ask. MâLady held me back when I tried to go further. She put a finger to Her lips. We were only to witness again, it seemed. âSo what happens to me now?â âWe could ask my dear Kismet what fate awaits you, but Iâm afraid she isâŠattending to business of her own.â MâLord replied nonchalantly. It took only a second to realize what He meant. âMe?â I whispered to MâLady. She nodded but kept Her attention on the voices. âNo, I meant am I heading North orâŠyou know what, never mind.â We continued to follow them in silence. The desire to run ahead and confront Bridget was strong. I was desperate to know why she did what she did. Or didnât do. Not wanting to upset the Gods, Kismet especially, kept the urge down. âThere was another reason, wasnât there?â Caduceus asked, bringing sound into the world again. There was a moment of surprise as Bridget sat on the steps rather than continue down. ââŠYes. Yes there was.â she said. âMay I hear it?â Even MâLady was leaning in to listen. I waited with bated breath, hoping against hope that Bridget wouldnât be overly blasphemous. Swears and insults were sure to come quickly to her tongue. âBecauseâŠbecause if I did what you wanted me to doâŠif I took Colm away from his friends and family and the life he knewâŠjust for my own needsâŠitâd be no different than what he did to me.â To think my heart couldnât be broken by mere words⊠âIs that not what you wanted? To make Colm pay for his deed?â âI didnât want revenge! I didnât want to take his life! I justâŠI just wanted him to understand how I felt, you know? To know what he did was wrong! How would he learn that if he wasâŠwas eradicated from existence?â âŠOnly to have it shattered twice within a moment. It was my turn to sit down. Everything was starting to feel numb again. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Not the voices, not my death, not my life. I just wanted to fade away and stop existing anyway. âWere you listening?â MâLord asked after a while. I kept quiet, not wishing to distract the Gods from their conversation. I wished to be somewhere else, to drown in my sorrows in peace. I thought nothing more of it until MâLord raised His voice. âI said, were you listening?â âA-aye, MâLord.â I replied, jumping to my feet. I bowed as best I could despite the steep stairs. âAnd you heard everything?â âAye. Aye, MâLordâŠâ âDo you know what must happen now?â It didnât take much imagination to figure that out. I was dead. I was in the afterlife. It was, as Bridget had just put it, a matter of where I was headed. âAye, MâLord.â I replied, my eyes cast down in shame and fear. The Heavens were probably closed to me. One of the lesser Hells, at least, had me on their list. It would be a bit of a surprise if a greater Hell awaited me. Worse still would be wandering the Medius for an eternity. The Medius was always supposed to be the âwaitingâ place. Perhaps it would be my final punishment instead. Neither evil nor good enough to be anywhere else. âI deserve whateâer punishment I have cominâ tuh me, MâLord.â There was an instant chill in the air. I thought I heard thunder crash around us. A particular loud crack made me jump. It was in that split-second that I was grabbed. Caduceus was pulling me closer. Whatever comparison I might have had was gone when we locked eyes. There was nothing that came close to the cold, hardened rage I saw in His face. âYes, I quite think you do. Glad to know we can agree on that.â Caduceus hissed. A gentle touch from Kismet was the only thing to calm Him down. âBut that can wait. For now. There are things you must do first.â âAââŠaâ course, MâLord. Anythinâ!â I spluttered. My mouth was too dry to say much else. âFirstly, I want you to understand. What you witnessed here today. What yourâŠâfriendâ did today, and why. And why what you saw and felt was more important than you might be thinking right now.â I nodded, too frightened to answer. âSecondly, and more importantly, I want you to remember this. All of this. Even if you think this was a dream.Remember.â Another frantic nod. âAnd lastly, if you canât accomplish these simple tasks, the least you can doâŠis wake up.â He released his grip. I fell. I struggled in the darkness. Grasping for a ledge, gasping for air. I thought for sure I was going to fall forever. It truly was my own Hell. Until I saw the light. It was a struggle to move. To even open my eyes. But I did. And sitting there, waiting for meâŠwas Bridget. Talking still took an effort. What few words I could get out were a jumbled mess. She reassured me I wasnât dead, that I wasnât being tortured. Yet the tears came anyway. âImâŠsew srry, Burrjtt. I nairâŠnair mnt tuhâŠtuhâŠâ It was hard to hear her, but I followed her advice. Sleep washed over me once more. Dreams kept their distance. I was glad of it. The days were like a slow blur. I still needed time to recover and everyone did their best to keep me company. But every time I glanced at Bridget, I knew Iâd have to face the inevitable. No matter how much shame I felt. Even when we returned to Arcadia and the mansion, it was agony. We barely acknowledged the otherâs existence. Kept to ourselves and away from each other. A lifetime seemed to pass before I found a need to leave. Even for a little while. Anywhere but stuck in that room with someone I couldnât bear to face. Someone who hated me with all her heart and soul. Someone who had every right to be. Someone whoâŠshould have said something by now. âMaybe it isne her after allâŠâ I said as the epiphany struck. How could I be so sure it was Bridget? Iâd just had aâŠvision of sorts, from the Gods. Maybe. It could be just as possible that the Human in my home wasnât who I thought they were. What I needed was a test. But what? âMâlord?â âHmm? Sorry, what was that?â âI er, asked if ye needed any help, MâlordâŠâ the man asked. Iâd apparently wandered into a store without realizing it. âOh, erm, sorry, I doona thinkâŠâ I began to explain, until something caught my eye. There was a sale going on and plenty of the products covered a shelf. âActually, can ye tell me what ye do with the, ah, defective or old cages?â It was brilliant. Simple but effective. It was sure to set Bridget off or at least prove something was wrong. Iâd stake my life on it. Again. I was both wrong and right in the end. It didnât exactly set her off, but it got her talking at least. Got us talking again. It hadnât been easy. Those months had been as much a struggle for her approval as it had been for Fathachâs acceptance. âCaduceus fergive me, how could I have fergotten alla that?â I asked myself. âUm, forgotten what?â Bridget asked. âWhat, did you have a trippy-ass dream too? I barely remember mine, if it helps.â âIâŠwe canâŠwe need tuh talk âbout it later. When weâve a roof oâer our heads anâ some real food in our bellies.â âI second that, at least!â one of the Humans yelled. Many laughed in agreement. Some were napping, or trying to, by leaning against each other. The trek didnât take long. A half hour, give or take, thanks to my purposely slow pace. I swore it used to take longer as a kid. The path was the same: overgrown with life and rocks and sounds of the forest. I chuckled when I realized why it took longer back then. I remembered stopping every few meters to point out things and ask Dad questions. They were never fast trips. Castle ScĂĄth appeared soon enough. Its stone walls and high towers were oddly welcoming after the week I had. It seemed only right to have at least one last day in the place as High Lord. Iâm not sure what compelled me to head for the kitchens rather than the front door. Probably because I needed a real meal. Because I had 44 mouths whoâd like the same. Or because I didnât want to feel too presumptuous or self-important. Heh. So says the First King I thought as I rang the bell. It opened within a few minutes to reveal an irritated but lively Mrs. Applegate. She was the castleâs groundskeeper and unofficial curator. An unpleasant woman when something rubbed her the wrong way. I was glad to see her wrinkled, cranky face. âAH!â For the split-second it appeared before the door slammed in my face. My shock didnât last long. âMRS. APPLEGATE IFâN YE DOONA OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR IâLL TEAR IT OFF ITS HINGES, I SWEAR TUH CADUCEUS!â I yelled, pounding against the solid oak door. âGods be praised, yer alright!â Mrs. Applegate said as she opened the door again. She nearly knocked me off the stoop with her rugby tackle of a hug. âThey said ye were in hidinâ anâ I thought yeâd hide outâere but ye neâer showed up so I thought the papers were lyinâ so no oneâŠno one knew ye wereâŠwereâŠ!â âIâm fine, Mrs. Applegate, I promise! But weâd like tuh get inside while we canâŠâ ââWeâ, Mâlord?â she asked. She saw Bridget on my shoulder and made her usual sour face. Which turned to surprise when she saw the bundle under my arm. âOh me GodsâŠare ye feckinâ kiddinâ me?â âMrs. Applegate-!â âAre ye tryinâ tuh infest me castle now?!â âMrs. Applegate, theyâre not-!â âYou know, I always wanted to live in a castle!â one of the Humans chimed in playfully. âThink it has a stacked larder?â âMust be freezinâ in the winter though.â âNaw, place like this must have a fireplace in every room.â âWhen can we move in?â Mrs. Applegate slammed the door in my face, again, with that last question. âSigh. This is gonna be a long day, isne it?â
FFH: TTA - Chapter 17
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Chapter 17: Overwhelmed
There were voices in the dark. They were hard to make out. Some whispered, some shouted. It was hard to tell who was saying what. They faded away the harder I tried to listen. It was almost like they knew I was eavesdropping. How was it eavesdropping if it was going on inside my head? The silence that followed was peaceful. Comforting. It was the most restful sleep Iâd had in days. For a time. Aches and pains made themselves known soon enough. A concerto played against my skull. Stings pricked along my limbs. Whatever comfort I had felt was gone. But I was still too exhausted to move. Sounds eventually pierced the fog again. The rustling of leaves and the calls of birds made themselves known. A shudder ran down my spine at the chilly breeze. Gods I hope Iâm not in someoneâs garden I thought to myself. Parts of me were trying to wake up. Some more slowly than others. Donât need that picture in the papers now. I groaned as I tried to move. Everything was either aching or stiff or both. There was a temptation to fall back asleep and try again later. Nothing seemed important. The world could wait. At least I thought so. â-nd here we have a very rare species.â Until I heard the voice. âThe Scrufficus Arcadicus. Known for its unnecessarily tall stature, unkempt appearanceâŠâ the voice continued happily. ââŠand thunderous snoring.â ââŠI doona snoreâŠâ I mumbled. Smiling hurt, but I couldnât help it. âYes, you do.â the voice insisted. âLike a bear with a cold ate a rock tumbler.â âOh, so no worse than ye do.â ââŠI do not snore.â âOh aye, ye do.â âNo I donât.â âLike yer tryinâ tuh warn ships âbout sharp rocks anâ shallow waters.â ââŠThe other thing the Scrufficus Arcadicus is known for is their atrocious and sometimes delusional hearing.â I laughed. It hurt, but it was worth it. Hearing her voice again was a relief. The snark and bickering was something Iâd sorely missed. It was almost enough to take the aches away. Almost. âItâs good tuh see ye âgain, Runt.â I said once I willed my eyes open. It was great to see her again. It honestly, truly was. Her hair was loose and in a shambles, her clothes worn and tattered in places. Her glasses were missing, Iâd noticed, when her face came into focus. The bag she wore was in shreds and kept together by some unknown force. Bridget was a damned sight better than I could have ever hoped. âYou look like shit, Scruffy.â she said with a smile. âHeh. I feel likeâŠlikeâŠâ I tried to quip, but couldnât. The tears were too hard to hold back anymore. âYerâŠyer âliveâŠyer âlive anâ alright anââŠanââŠâ âHey, heyâŠitâs okay, Iâm okayâŠâ she said in a cracked but comforting tone. âYou donât have toâŠlook, stop, or Iâm gonna startâŠsniff start cryâŠsniffâŠing oh goddamnit Scruffy!â It felt good to laugh and cry. Just knowing Bridget was alive and well, seeing her with my own two eyes, was a weight off my mind. It put my heart at ease, if such a thing was possible. Everything felt light and bright again. It took several more minutes of sobbing and chuckles before either of us could talk. ââŠIâm sorry. So, so sorryâŠâ I began eventually. âDude, itâs not your fault. Hell, how were you supposed to know that one stone could do a mass Jump like that?â she countered. Bridget held up what was left of her bag. âGood thing I wasnât holding on to it, huh?â âThatâs not whatâŠGood Gods, aye, canna imagine what yer hand would look like after that.â âAssuming Iâd have a hand left in the first place.â âI meanâŠIâm sorry I coodne reach ye last nightâŠthat I yelled befer theâŠthe âsplosionâŠthatâŠthat Iâve been dragginâ me feet âboutâŠâbout anythinâ. âBout eâerythinâ.â âStop. YouâŠyou were freaking shot last night, Iâm surprised you did what you could. Youâre right though, you shouldnât have yelled. ButâŠbut if I learned anything this week, itâs thatâŠitâs going to take time to fix this whole damn mess.â Bridget said. She sat down and made herself comfortable. âSecond worst week of my life, I swear to god.â âI can guess yer very worstâŠâ I muttered, looking away in shame. It wasnât a hard guess to make. Those first few days here, with me, had to be the worst of her life. Especially when she found out the secretâŠno, the truth I hadnât told her. I didnât deserve her as a friend. I didnât deserve her asâŠanything. But she still wanted to know me when even I couldnât stand myself. She deserved so much more than I could ever possibly give her. Iâll be damned if I wouldnât try though. ââŠNo. No, no you really couldnât guessâŠâ she said absently. She was fiddling with something on the ground when I glanced her way. âBut if youâre thinking what I think youâre thinkingâŠIâd say itâs dropped to third worst.â âOh aye, this weekâs been all the Hells fer ye from what Iâve been hearinâ. The bloody soddinâ Hells were ye thinkinâ takinâ on a spell hound all on yer own? With a feckinâ lilâ umbrella no less?â âWhat was I going to do, just sit there and-! Wait, how do you know about that? Did it really make the front page or something?â âDunno. Heard the story from the two old fellas at the Rathcullan Arms.â I explained. âI was only a few hours behind ye.â âWhat do you-?â âTrackinâ spell onna compass anâ a Jumper Stone. Tim castâem at Auntie Melâs. I think I used up me stone last night though.â I said, trying to chuckle. I stopped when I noticed her wiping her eyes. âIâmâŠIâm sorry, I dinna-!â âYouâŠyouâve been trying to find me?â she said through a sob. âThis wholeâŠthis whole time?â âAâ course! Ye think I woodne try tuh find me best friend? Woodne move the Heavens anâ Hells âtil I found ye safe anâ sound? IfâŠif anythinâ had happened tuh yeâŠâ I let the sentiment drift off, not wanting to think about what could have happened. What almost happened only a few hours ago. I tried to move my arm, so I could offer a hand for support. Just because I couldnât give her a hug at her size didnât mean I couldnât try. âNo! Wait! Donât move!â Bridget yelled, frantically waving her arms atâŠwell, it looked like she was waving at the trees themselves. I was confused as she turned her attention back to me. âColm, listen, you need to justâŠnotmove. For now. Okay?â âEr, not that I canna move much anywayâŠwhy?â âBecauseâŠwellâŠyouâre kind ofâŠa giant target right now.â âWhat?!â I yelped. Without moving, I attempted to look around. All I could see were tree trunks and sunlight. âBy who?! Why?!â ââŠIâll explain but you have to promise not to do anything rash, alright?â âNot do anythinâ rash? Iâm a sittinâ feckinâ duckâere!â âDo you promise?â âI doona think Iâm comfâtable sayinâ-!â âCOLM. Do. You. Trust. Me?â It was her stern voice. I hated her stern voice. Iâd heard more severe attempts from others and never came close to blinking. But with her it was instant. A mix of guilt and regret always made me back down when she used her voice. It didnât help it always made me feel like an idiot. Or a rowdy child being punished. Even if I was acting like it. Didnât mean I appreciated the tone. I had to concede. âAye.â It wasnât a lie. It would never be a lie. The least I could do was trust her. I still needed to rebuild her trust of me. If it was ever possible. âAnd you wonât get mad after I explain?â ââŠAye. No gettinâ mad. NowâŠwhy am I a target?â Bridget looked around at the tree line. She waved at someone or something, trying to stop them from coming closer. They were out of my sight for the moment. Bridget needed a deep breath before she began. âSeeâŠwhen we, I mean the other people in that cage and I, and well, obviously you, too, JumpedâŠhereâŠturns out we ended up in aâŠHuman forestâŠuh, village? I guess? Not sure what else to call it.â âIâm with ye so far.â âAnd, um, giants arenât a uh, very common sight in these parts. Rare, even. So rare seeing one pop out of thin air kinda puts themâŠon edge.â âAye, sâpose it would.â âSo thereâs at least a dozenâŠor threeâŠpeople hiding with ah, homemade bows and arrows. And a couple of dust bombs.â âMakes sense. Yeâd wanna distract someone long ânuff tuh let others get âway or just ânoyâem ânuff tuh run âway. I still doona see why-?â There was a moment as Bridget fidgeted with her hands. Adjusting her bag and looking at everything but me. âThe uhâŠthe arrows and bombsâŠâ she said, clearly nervous. ââŠthey, uh, they have Gressleweed on them. Or inthem.â I almost panicked. I admit it. Gressleweed was powerful in even a small dose to give me a bad reaction. A dozen or so splinters wasnât something I was looking forward to experiencing. ââŠWait. Gressleweed isne poisonousâŠâ I said once I calmed down. âItâs only bad if-!â âIfâŠsomeone told them you were allergic to itâŠâ I was dumbfounded. It was like a smack in the back of the head with a brick. âWHY THE BLOODY SODDINâ HELLS DID YE GO ANâ DO THAT FER?!â I erupted, promise forgotten. Maybe if I made a run for it I could avoid most of the projectiles. Pretty sure I had spare syringes in my backpack. Could I get to them before a reaction? âBECAUSE THEY WERE READY TO CUT YOUR THROAT LAST NIGHT ALRIGHT?!â Bridget countered, jitters replaced with her own fury. âTELLING THEM YOUR ALLERGY WAS A BETTER BARGAIN FOR YOUR LIFE!â âOH AYE! âCUZ A SLOW PAINFUL DEATH IS BETTER, I SâPOSE?!â âAT LEAST YOU HAVE A CHANCE NOW, YOU JACKASS! DO YOU THINK I WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR DEATH AGAIN?!â âWHAT?â âWHAT?â ââŠWhat do ye mean âgainâ?â I asked once we calmed down. I took it as a good sign an allergic reaction hadnât happened yet. Maybe the snipers were standing down. Or waiting for a better shot. âWhenâŠthat night withâŠand yourâŠour comaâŠthingsâŠâ Bridget said slowly. She needed time to get herself together before she continued. âItâŠit wasâŠif IâŠyou almostâŠâ âOhâŠoh, no. No, stop, doonaâŠdoona think thatâŠit wasne yer fault, I shooda waited ferâŠI shoodne eâer brought yeâŠbrought ye hereâŠâ âThatâs notâŠokay, I mean, yes on that last part, but I donât meanâŠitâs hard to explain.â I deserved that. Iâd said it to her too many times. And I wasnât about to push the issue. âWellâŠwhateâer happens now, at least Iâll die knowinâ yer alrightâŠâ I murmured. ââŠThough thatâs ruined somewhat knowinâ me corpse will be found havinâ pissed me pants, âparently.â âOh, ha! No, you didnât wet yourselfâŠI think.â Bridget chuckled. âThat was the um, other thing: when you fell, you knocked over their water supply.â âOh, thank the Gods!â ââŠâ âErâŠI meanâŠoh. That âsplains that. Think theyâll let me fix it âstead aâ killinâ me?â âFrankly, that still remains to be seen.â a new voice stated. I didnât dare move my head to see. The owner of the voice moved into view soon enough. âBut yes, weâll âletâ you âfix itâ.â She was an older woman, just barely shorter than Bridget. Slim on the verge of starvation. A bird skull covered her head and one end of her staff had bramble thorns attached. It seemed her clothes were made from fur or skins as well. âI âpologize deeply fer any disturbance Iâve caused, maâam. It wasne me intention anâ-!â âHA! You think I care about your âintentionsâ?â she spat out acidly. âAll I care about are your actions, boy. And they havenât exactly shown the best side of you, have they?â ââŠI like tuh think me backside is one aâ me better features, really.â I tried to chuckle. It died quickly when I saw her face, however. âQuick to anger and slow to sympathy, more like.â she continued steadily. âThe only reason I havenât had you shot yet is because I still havenât decided if itâs worth having to dispose of a corpse so large.â âWould ye believe thatâs the second time this week Iâve been told that?â ââŠThe Wyvern cave?â Bridget chimed in eventually. âThe Wyvern cave.â I confirmed. It took a moment to realize something important. âWaitâŠye dinna tellâem who I am, did ye?â âIâŠdidnât think name dropping would help at the time.â she said awkwardly. âI didnât want to seem like you were a threat. Or at least, not a bigger threat than they already thought you were.â âHave you been keeping something from us, child?â the old woman asked. A pair ofâŠguards, or so I assumed, appeared beside her. They both held spears and wore skull helmets. âWhy should his name matter?â âItâŠit doesne matter.â I interjected. âBut ye woodne want yer part aâ the woods full aâ otherâŠgiants lookinâ fer a missinâ person, would ye? âSpecially a dead one, right?â It wasnât much. I knew that. It was the farthest I could reach at a momentâs notice. It probably didnât hurt that Dorian would raze the forest to find me again. The elder took a moment to consider my word nonetheless. She stepped forward, paying no heed to her guards. I closed my eyes and braced myself when she raised her staff. âOw! Oi, what was-?!â I yelped when I felt a pinch on my chin. The elder was inspecting a green-tipped splinter. Or rather, a Human-sized crossbow bolt. âOh. Heh. Guess Harita madeâer shot then.â ââŠWhatâs your name?â she asked almost absently. I braced myself when I felt her staff move along my cheek. As the stick touched my skin, I winced. It was highly likely the thorns were still poisonous. The bramble barbs faced skyward as she traced my Caduceus Lines. I kept my eye on it the whole time. âColm, maâam. Pleased tuh make yer âquaintance, Miss-?â âEinin. Why should your name matter to me?â âIt shoodne. JustâŠthought knowinâ me name might keep ye from killinâ me. Harder tuh kill someone when ye know their name. Right?â I replied. It was the only thing that came to mind quickly enough. Mostly because it was the truth. Or so I hoped. I couldnât help glancing Bridgetâs way for a quip. âYer manners are âtrocious, Runt.â âCould be worse, Scruffy. I couldâve stumbled like a drunk over a communityâs only water tank OH WAIT.â she replied jokingly. Gods, how Iâd missed her. âYouâre hiding something. I donât like secrets and I donât like liars.â Einin said, tapping her staff on the ground. âBut you care about her, do you not?â âSheâs one aâ me best friends. Iâd do anythinâ ferâer, maâam.â âGood. She should provide proper incentive then.â âHEY!â One of the guards tried to grab Bridget. She was quick to give him a smack. But she was too busy nursing her hand to notice his second attempt. Something snapped. Several things happened at once. My hand rushed to create a wall between Bridget and her assailant. He and his cohort were up in arms. Bridget had her own fists up and ready for a fight. I was too focused on Eininâs face to realize she had her staff raised like a hammer. The thorns were ready to pierce me if needed. âLay a finger onâer like that âgain anâ I swear Iâll break eâery Godsâdamned bone in yer bodies.â There was a tense moment as everyone stared each other down. âI am fully capable of making my own death threats Scruffy, thank you.â Bridget reprimanded softly. She did, however, attempt to crack her knuckles threateningly. âYou heard the man. Back. Off.â âQuick to anger. As I said.â Einin stated as she made her guards move away. âQuick tuh defend, more like.â âAt least that âdisplayâ before was genuine after all. Didnât think either of you had it in you to act so well.â âWeâll take that as a compliment.â Bridget chimed in. âYour giant is well-trained, child.â âHeâs not my-!â âI am NOT well-trained.â I huffed, now that my rage was fading away. âIâm exceptionally trained, thank ye very much.â âThatâŠwasâŠBRILLIANT!â The hoots and hollers were unexpected, but they helped relieve the tension at the moment. Everyone was confused until Einin looked away from my face and towards the rest of me instead. âWHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE?!â Einin screamed. I tried to pretend it didnât hurt to hear. It was a common occurrence with Bridget despite the numerous reminders of how close she was to my ear. âGET OFF HIM RIGHT NOW!â Wait. âHimâ? âBut Granny Neen! Whenâs the next time weâll ever see a-?â one of the voices tried to argue. âGET DOWN OR SO HELP ME IâLL TAN YOUR HIDES MYSELF DONâT MAKE ME SAY IT AGAIN!â There were collected sighs and groans as the voices all conceded defeat. It came as a genuine surprise to feel movement along my back. Even more so as a few figures slid down along my shoulder to the ground. I held back a chuckle when I realized they were children. âNow get back inside before I change my mind about beating you lot silly.â Einin growled, pointing with her staff. âOff you get!â The trio of children was slow to follow her advice. It wasnât hard to notice them trying to get final looks at the âbigâunâ. One even waved before they were shooed away. âThereâs a well your size, not far from here. Not far for you, anyway.â Einin explained once the kids were gone. âYourâŠfriend stays here. Tristan will show you the way.â Tristan turned out to be the same man who tried to grab Bridget. His uneasiness showed as I glared at him. ââŠBridget ye doona-!â I began, but she stopped me with a gesture. âIf it keeps everyone from killing everyone else, Iâll stay. For now.â she said. âBut try anything again and I swear youâll wish you had him to deal with instead of me.â âGrab the water, fill the tank, then you can go on your way.â Einin continued. âHopefully without any more incidents.â âDoes that mean I can move now or do I still have tuh worry âbout yer fellas in the trees?â Einin used her staff to raise a signal of some kind. She gestured for me to move after a moment. It was rough at first. Everything still felt stiff from the night before. Laying on the rocky forest floor didnât help either. Groaning and stretching was needed right away. After I had to pull my hand out of the ground, at least. ââŠWere ye tryinâ tuh tie me down while I was âsleep?â I asked as I pulled the thread and pegs out. âYeah, they tried to pull a Gulliver but there wasnât enough rope apparently.â Bridget supplied. âWhatâs a âGull-â?â âIâll explain later.â âBridget, do ye still have a pen or pencil in yer bag?â I asked once the kinks were worked out. âMost were lost when the bag erupted.â she said, searching through the tattered bag. âOr stuck in pockets I canât reach right now. I wish I knew if my sketchbook survived or notâŠâ âIt did! I have it. They found it last night after yer lot Jumped.â âColm, I swear to god if youâre playing with my emotions right now, Iâll-!â âItâs right here. Promise.â I said while I dug it out of my front pocket. She took it when I offered and looked it over, just in case. I laid the memo pad on the ground beside her as well. âListen, do me a favor anâ tell Tim weâre alright.â ââŠColm. Thatâs paper. Not a phone.â âPaper with a spell thatâll let ye write tuh each other in real time.â âOh, awesome, instant messaging. Got it.â ââŠWhat?â âIâll explain later. Again. Go fetch that water already before they decide to make good on their threats.â Bridget had a point. As much as I hated to admit it. Tristan and Einin were talking until they noticed me watching. I made slow, grand gestures as I retrieved my bandana and explained how he would travel. They were reluctant to move closer when I offered an open palm. âIf it helps, with ye on me shoulder yer closer tuh me jugular, arne ye?â I suggested. Memories of that night in the castle came to mind. Laying helpless from an allergic reaction as I waited for the ointment to work. Bridget had been joking at the time, but the thought of her slitting my throat stuck with me. The day might still come when someone gets the same idea. The day may come when Bridget does it herself. I may still hope it happened. The thoughts disappeared when I felt little fingers dig into my skin. It wasnât startling, but I still growled. Tristan ended up gripping tighter when I stood up. The stroll was awkward, to say the least. Tristan only talked when it was needed. Mostly barking directions. âYe doona need tuh yell, me earâs right there.â I had to remind him. It was odd. Knowing Bridget was alright, that the chase was at an endâŠit was a huge relief off my mind. The world didnât seem as hopeless. The air felt cooler, tasted and smelled sweeter. Nothing seemed scarier than never seeing her again. Nothing could have assuaged my guilt had I failed. âThere it is!â Tristan yelled, earning a disgruntled huff. I was ready to remind him again but stopped once I saw the well. Or what was left of it. The stones were half-fallen and worn by nature. Various plants grew among the cracks. I recognized most of them. They were harmless, thankfully, and not likely to contaminate the well. A squirrel scampered away as I got closer. The dilapidated bucket still hung from a rusted hook. âThisâŠthis is yer well?â I asked. A look down the shaft proved there was still water. âThis is yer well.â âYes.â Tristan confirmed nervously. His grip was tight whenever I moved. The look down the well almost made him pierce my skin. âThisâŠis YER well.â âI just said-!â The laughter probably scared Tristan more than my presence could. His little nails were practically embedded at this point. Wiping away my tears made him flinch. It was several more minutes before I caught my breath. âOh GodsâŠoh Gods, sorry âbout thatâŠâ I explained once I composed myself. âI dinnaâŠdinna thinkâŠâ âItâs not much but itâs the only well we have.â Tristan said with a huff. âHeh. That not what I mean.â I knew this well. On closer inspection, the area started looking familiar too. Iâd been here several times before, when I was a kid. Whenever he had the time, Dad and I would camp nearby for the weekend. Or as part of my Faol Scout training. This well was our water source too. The first time weâd come out there, Molly and Liam came as well. Dad and I had a great timeâŠuntil we thought Molly had gone missing. Sheâd gone on one of her infamous âtreksâ and showed up with an armful of plants and animals sheâd found. It was the weekend we found out Liam and nature outside of our back garden didnât get along. It still ended up being one of the best trips of my life. As the years went on, we camped less and less. Mostly because Dad was called away at the last minute more and more. I tried not to mind when it happened. He had his work. A whole nation depended on him. He had chances to make it up to meâŠup to us later. Didnât help make us miss him less. Make me miss him less. Mum did her best when it happened. Camping in the back garden with all three of us were great times too. She never risked being too far in case something happened. Forest trips werenât for her. Mum told better ghost stories than Dad could anyway. Sleep was harder to find after one of Mumâs infamous tales. Sleepless nights were worth it if it meant spending time with her. I wondered if Elias, Elma, and Ellie would be up for a camp-out. The question was put on hold when I arrived back at the village. Settlement? Even without any visible homes it seemed the right word to use. A large group of Humans were talking to each other. Or more accurately, yelling at each other. I only caught bits and pieces of their conversation at first. âNo way am I staying in some damn forest-!â âI have children at home, I canât be-!â âMy hidey-hole is well stocked compared to this shit!â âHaroldâs probably worried sick to death!â âI canât survive out here! They donât have the medicine I need!â âGUYS ENOUGH! I CANâT HEAR YOU ALL AT ONCE!â Bridget yelled. It was enough to keep them down to a low grumble. âLook, Iâll ask him when he gets back but I canât guarantee anything!â âAsk who what, Ru-Bridget?â I asked, setting Tristan on the ground. He was quick to rush off and find his partner. Einin stood by the fallen water tank. She was overseeing others sorting out various bits and pieces. It looked like she was trying to salvage what water she could. She barely nodded in acknowledgement when I set the bucket down. âGuess what? I know where we are after all!â âSomewhere near Castle ScĂĄth.â Bridget said when she reached me. âHowâd ye-?â âStryfe told me. Wrote me. You know what I mean. It took some convincing to keep him from Jumping here with a freaking legion. He is extremely pissed at you, by the way.â she explained, gesturing toward the enchanted notepad. The group of Humans started to advance only to stop when Bridget frantically waved them away. âWeâŠalso have a bit of a situation.â âThey doona have tuh leave if they doona wanna.â I stated automatically. My focus was on fixing the tank. I waited until everyone was far enough away before setting it upright. It needed a good cleaning before anything. A quick Cleanse spell would do the job. Anything to avoid making eye contact just then. âAnââŠanâ that goes fer ye tuh.â ââŠWhat?â âYeâŠye doona have tuh come back with me. YeâŠye neâer had tuh stay with meâŠâ It wasnât a lie. It took almost losing her to notice what choices she had. Bridget didnât have to stay with me. Or around any Tergaian. I would miss her with all my heart. But Iâd rather her be happy. Any way she could. Even if I never saw her again. âARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!â Though I wouldnât miss the yelling. âAre you trying to pull this shit again? You think I donât know that?!â Bridget said, taking a second to actually kick me. I barely felt it but the sentiment got through. âIF or WHENEVER I decide to skip out, youâll know for damn sure! And you wonât have any say in the matter! And you constantly bringing it up isnât helping either of us, you overgrown jackass!â âBut ye have more choices then ye eâer had befer!â I exploded. âYeâve gotâŠyeâve got this placeâere or that house in Cork orâŠorâŠor so many places that have more Humans than Tergaians! Yeâd neâer have tuh deal with usâŠwithmeâŠâgainâŠâ âI know! And that hasnât changed my mind! I have a LOT of reasons for notâŠnotâŠâ Bridget needed a moment to compose herself. She kept turning away from me only to look back. Just as I was about to tell her she didnât need to explain, she spoke up. âIâŠthink itâs time I told you the worst thing thatâs ever happened to me.â ââŠBridget, ye doona-!â âNot right now. Later. With less ears around. Anyway, thatâs not the problem. The problem is nobody wants to stay here!â âWHAT?!â Einin and I exclaimed in unison. âWhat do you mean âno one wants to stayâ?â Einin asked before I could. âNo one has to leave with this brute if they donât want to.â âAye, thatâs right.â I interjected, ignoring the remark. âNo oneâs makinâ ye leave folks, least uvâall me.â âNot that heâd get far if he tried. Youâre safe here.â Einin promised. She tapped her staff on the ground as a warning. Or a signal. I still wasnât sure. âNo offense lady, but Iâve got a fully stocked hide-away back in Tiptoft where I donât have to worry about freezing to death in the winter!â one of the group stated as they got closer. âCan you say the same thing?â âAnd Iâm not leaving my children behind!â another said. âIâd rather stay a pet with them than âfreeâ without them!â âErnie needs someone to remind him of his pills!â said yet another. He started to fiddle with his hands as we looked at him. âIâŠI live in a house and the poor blokeâs a nice guy but forgets his meds sometimes. I make sure he remembersâŠâ The words caught in my throat as they all tried to make their cases at the same time. It was unbelievable! Unexpected, to say the least. âSO ANYWAYâŠâ Bridget shouted above the fray. The crowd settled down with a gesture from her. âTheyâd very much appreciate it if they could hitch a ride with us.â âHitchâŠaâŠrideâŠâ âTo, uh, the castle if weâre close enoughâŠwe could always sort out the particulars later.â The confusion must have shown on my face. The group started looking anxious. Even Bridget looked on edge. They were waiting for an answer. What was I supposed to say? âIâŠI meant what I said.â I eventually stated. âI woona take anyone who doesne wanna leave. SoâŠso while Iâm fixinâ this, the âlotta ye make sure ye know what ye wanna do. Anâ, er, please do a headcount. Just tuh make sure.â I tried to distract myself by cleaning the water tank. The inside needed more than one Cleanse spell before it looked suitable. Looking at the grime made me wish I remembered more household spells. Most of the ones from Home Economics were too weak from lack of practice. It would have to be another thing to learn when IâŠwhen we got back. I wasnât going to bother cleaning the outside. There were patches of mud and leaves attached along the exterior. It didnât take a genius to guess it was to dull the once bright color. Made sense. Couldnât have an obvious âlandmarkâ or target for others to spot. That was when I saw the name tag. âEinin, maâam?â I asked, clearing dirt and grime away from the label. It was barely there, but it was enough to make out the handwriting. âHowâŠhowâd ye come âcross this?â âDoes it matter?â she asked. âAye, that it does.â âIt wasâŠa gift. From one of you.â Einin began. âHappened when I was younger. Was on a visit to the well, fell in. A man your size was there for some reason. Helped me out. Decided we needed the tank more than he did. Took us a month or more to realize he wasnât coming back for it. Or us. Been using it to collect and keep rainwater mostly. Satisfied?â âDo yeâŠdo ye remember what he looked like?â âTall, about your height. Red hair, blue eyes. Had those same cheek lines like you. Muttonchops too, I think theyâre called. Nose was different though.â âAye, we got our hair anâ noses from Mum, he used tuh say.â I mumbled as I took in the handwriting. âI canna believe Dad neâer told us âbout thisâŠâ It took all I had to finish fixing everything. Theyâd remade the funnel and pulley system while I was gone. I replaced everything as instructed, even the makeshift steps they used to reach the top. They tested the spout and make-shift hoses just in case. There was an odd joy to see them so happy to have water again. After two more trips to the well it was almost overflowing. Then there was the other problem at hand. âAnââŠye all wanna go back?â I asked as I looked the crowd over. Theyâd been huddling nearby as I worked. They either nodded or responded with a yes. âNo one wants tuh stayâere?â A few head shakes and a ânoâ here and there. âNo one at all?â They shook their heads again. âAnâ ye know yer not beinâ ferced tuh come, right?â Nods all around. âAnâ thereâsâŠhow many uvâye?â â43!â they shouted in unison. â43âŠâ Bridget seemed nervous as I glanced at her. Was it from the situation or from wanting to be out of here? Was she worried about how I was taking it orâŠ? âI realize itâs a lot of people, ScruffyâŠâ she said eventually. âMaybe if everyone walked instead ofâŠ?â âNo, no, itâs maybe a quarter-hour by foot tuh the Castle grounds from here. Weâre better off with me doinâ alla the heavy liftinâ.â I replied, reaching for my backpack. âI justâŠneed tuh figure out how weâre gonna do this.â âMaybe if we went in groups?â someone from theâŠGood Gods, the group of 43 Humans. âTake a couple of trips?â âErm, no offense, but I woodne feel right leavinâ anyone behind in case somethinâ happened.â My mind wracked with possible solutions. Would I be able to carry them all in my arms? Would they hold on for long if they needed to? Why didnât I have pockets? Pockets solved everything. Most things. Maybe if I somehow had the toy wagon we had as kids. A wagon in the forest would be bumpy though. Too bumpy. Maybe if I had a box or something with handles. What good was there being a Faol Scout if I couldnât-! âI got it!â I blurted out. âI just need somethinâ flat anâ strong.â I rifled through my bag, looking for something thatâd do the trick. Almost everything that looked viable was too small and spell-locked. No way to Enlarge them to the size I needed. Except for my day planner. Leather-bound and thick, it was the only thing that could do the job. It was a somber thought as I slipped my family picture safely away. Iâd have to tell Bridget eventually who was behind the explosion. It would have to wait until later. It took a few minutes to secure it but I had a makeshift bag in no time. It was one of the helpful tricks our scout master taught us early on. If we needed a way to carry things, we could turn an extra long-sleeved shirt into a sling. The only one I had was the one off my own back, but it would do. It needed a quick Cleanse and Enlarge to make room for the planner. The book would serve as a solid bottom for those who would ride inside. Iâd still have a hand holding it up nonetheless. I wasnât about to take the risk with so many people in my hands. Literally. Bridget seemed ready to chance it. âDude, Iâm taking a shoulder.â she said as I waited for her to get in with the others. âIâve got questions and Iâm not in the mood to yell them.â ââŠShould I trust youâll not come back?â Einin asked. She had tried her best to persuade the 43 Humans with no success. Her irritation was obvious. âMaâam, I canna come back tuh a place Iâve neâer been.â I left it at that. There was a queasy feeling as I walked away, 43 Humans in a makeshift carrier under my arm. An expectation of being shot from behind made itself known. Of dying in the forest right then and there. That fear was going to stay with me when I was king, wasnât it? âSo, uh, did the coronation already happen orâŠ?â Bridget asked eventually. It was an odd comfort to have her familiar weight on my shoulder again. âNo, no, weâve still a few more days.â I replied. âNo king aâ Fathach yet.â âWhat day is it anyway? Iâve lost track a bit.â âErmâŠitâs the 27th. Happy Birthday, Bridget.â âHa! Some birthday, am I right?â âHeh. I sâpose. 23 now though. How does it feel?â âLike I better have another dream about smacking Caduceus tonight to make up for this week.â âOi, that isne-!â I started, but stopped in my tracks. Something suddenly came to mind at hearing His name. Pieces were put together as I struggled to remember something. SomethingâŠimportant. âFuck, sorry, I didnât mean anything by that.â Bridget said after a moment. âItâs something stupid from whenâŠwhen weâŠâ âWe were in a coma?â I whispered. âUh, yeahâŠactuallyâŠâ âYe mean ye had that dream tuh?!â



